Softball Bedlam; Oklahoma Vs. Oklahoma State
Through games of March 25, the University of Oklahoma led Division I schools in team ERA (0.75). And that team ERA dropped even lower (0.71) after the Sooners shutout arch-rival Oklahoma State 4-0 Wednesday (March 28) evening in Oklahoma City at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. The win was Oklahoma’s 71st in the 141 game series.
It was the first meeting this season between the two schools in softball’s version of Bedlam and the Sooners improved their overall record to 27-4 overall and 3-1 in Big 12 play, while the Cowgirls dropped to 16-13, 1-3 in the Big 12. It was the 18th win for OU in its last 19 games.
OU ace hurler, southpaw Keilani Ricketts, hurled her fourth one-hitter this season and ninth shutout to improve her record to 15-4 and dropped her earned run average to 0.69. She fanned ten batters, her 11th game with at least ten strikeouts. She is averaging 11.31 strikeouts per seven innings (196 in 121 innings). Ricketts walked only one batter and for the season has issued only 21.
Absorbing the loss was Kat Espinosa (9-6). She allowed the Sooners seven hits while walking three and striking out five. “Keilani is a little more mature this year and refuses to let any outside influences affect her during the game and it shows in her pitching,” said OU Head Coach Patty Gasso. “The freshman are playing phenomenal right now. Lauren Chamberlain turned on a double play with no hesitation because she trusts her teammates.”
Chamberlain brought home the first Sooner run in the first inning with a bases loaded blooper and scored the third Sooner run in the third inning. Javen Henson homered over the left center field fence in the sixth inning for OU’s final run. It was her third homer of the season and OU’s 46th in 31 games.
Chamberlain is part of one of the top triumvirates in college softball this season. She is leading the Sooners in homers (12) and RBIs (39) and bats clean-up. She has 32 hits with 18 of them for extra bases for a team-leading slugging percentage of .843. Catcher Jessica Shults, who went two-for-four against OSU with one RBI to improve her season average to .432, hits second with Ricketts following her (.388).
OU and OSU, which both qualified for the College World Series last year, are at opposite ends with the Cowgirls struggling at the plate for offense, having scored two runs or less in 16 of their 29 games. OU, meanwhile, has a team batting average of .328 and is having one of the team’s best years in school history.
Despite the loss, Cowgirl head coach Rich Wieligman isn’t about to panic. “We’re getting better. That’s the big thing to me. We’re not standing still. Even though it might not show it, I see our at bats getting better. I keep telling them ‘A couple big hits here and there all of a sudden everybody’s hitting.’ ”
