Oklahoma Wins Texas-Arlington Invitational

Feb. 13, 2000

NORMAN, Okla. - The Oklahoma softball team won the Texas-Arlington Isuzu Motors Invitational Sunday afternoon. OU won its pool on Friday and then reeled off four straight bracket wins Saturday and Sunday before claiming the title with a 5-3 defeat of Arkansas in the final game.

In the game against Arkansas, OU scored two runs in the top of the first as Christy Ring and Lisa Carey both singled eventually and came around to score. The Lady Razorbacks registered three runs in the bottom of the third to take the lead. The Sooners rebounded in the top of the fourth to score three runs. Freshman shortstop Leah Gulla hit two doubles in three at bats and drove in one run to lead the Sooner offensive attack.

The Sooners' biggest win came in the team's second game on Sunday. OU avenged last season's NCAA Regional loss with a 10-1 thrashing of preseason No. 5 Southern Mississippi. The Eagles used three different pitchers in an effort to halt Oklahoma's hot bats. Southern Mississippi's ace Courtney Blades walked three and gave up two hits and three runs. When Blaze left the game in the third inning, OU owned a 4-1 advantage. Blaze holds the NCAA strikeout record. She dropped 497 batters in 1999.

Oklahoma finished the contest against Southern Mississippi with nine hits. Junior all-American Lisa Carey knocked a two-run homer over the fence in the first inning to start the scoring for the Sooners. Sophomore Macey Wilson was inserted into the line-up as a pinch hitter in the third inning with the bases loaded. Wilson blasted a grand slam home run to put OU up 9-1. Junior catcher Ashli Barrett posted her third home run of the tournament to round out the scoring.

Texas-San Antonio jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on Oklahoma in the opening inning, but the Sooners' fought back to gain a 3-2 lead and would hold for the win.

Sophomore pitching ace Jennifer Stewart was credited with all three wins Sunday bringing her record to a perfect 6-0 on the year. Stewart posted 41 strikeouts throughout the weekend and gave up only one earned run.

OU has gotten off to blazing start offensively. At the Texas-Arlington Invitational, the team combined to hit 13 home runs in seven games. They are on a pace to shatter the OU single-season record of 43.

The softball squad returns to competition Feb. 18-20 at the Wildcat Softball Classic in Tucson, Ariz. They will face No. 4 Arizona on their home field Feb. 20. Oklahoma's home opener is a doubleheader against Arkansas scheduled for Feb. 23 at 4p.m.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Oklahoma Wins Texas-Arlington Invitational

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