Sooner Softball Blanks Louisville 7-0

The University of Oklahoma hosted Louisville Sunday and shutout the Cardinals out 7-0.

Thursday, May 26th 2011, 11:33 am

By: News On 6

Originally Published: Mar 7, 2010 2:46 PM CDT

Stephany Speck
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

NORMAN, Oklahoma -- The Oklahoma softball team improved its record to 15-3 this season after shutting out the Louisville Cardinals 7-0.

Michelle Gascoigne earned six strikeouts for the Sooners. The left handed pitcher held her own at the mound for all seven innings.

The first two innings were scoreless for both teams, as Gascoigned earned her first strikeout in the first inning and Louisville’s Tori Collins earned two Ks in the bottom of the first.

Brianna Turang earned OU’s first hit of the day in the bottom of the second, but the game remained 0-0 until the third inning.

The Sooners got things underway when Haley Nix hit a home run into right field.

Gascoigne continued her dominance at the bump, striking out her third Cardinal of the day in the third inning and two more in the fourth.

The Sooners extended their lead in the bottom of the fifth. Katie Norris singled to center field and Haley Anderson was sent in to be a pinch runner. A fielding error on a hit by Dani Dobbs advanced Anderson to second and landed Dobbs at first.

Wendy Trott, who was pinch hitting for Krystle Huey, reached first base, but Dobbs was tagged out at second on the play.

With Huey on first, running for Trott, and Anderson on third, Collins loaded the bases by walking Amber Flores.

Collins walked Jessica Shults, which sent Anderson home and widened the margin to 2-0. Lindsey Vandever hit a double in to center field in the next at-bat, sending Shults, Flores and Huey home for a 5-0 lead.

Gascoigne struck out two more Cardinals in the top of the sixth. The Sooners also added to their lead in the sixth, scoring two more runs in the bottom half of the inning. Kaolyne Long singled to left field in her first at-bat, and Dobbs hit a homer to right field, earning the Sooners two more runs.

The Cardinals did not produce any offense in the final inning, as the Sooners earned their 15th win.

OU hosts North Texas March 10 at 5 p.m.