Softball Shuts Out Creighton in adidas Classic

Feb. 17, 2001

NORMAN, Okla. - In the much anticipated home opener, University of Oklahoma pitchers Jennifer Stewart (Yukon, Okla.) and Adrianne Ratliff (Claremore, Okla.) combined for a no-hitter to shut out Creighton 4-0 in the first game of the adidas Classic on Saturday. The win raises the Sooners' record to 6-0 on the year while the Blue Jays fall to 0-1.

The no-hitter was the 22nd in OU softball history and third of Stewart's career. Her previous no-hitters both came in 1999--against Oklahoma Christian on Feb. 9 (which was also the home opener) and Wichita State on Apr. 6.

Stewart (4-0) had a shaky start when she walked the second batter of the game, Creighton's Jenny Hunt. After striking out the next batter, OU catcher Andrea Davis (West Jordan, Utah) threw Hunt out when she attempted to steal second to get the Sooners out of the inning.

The left-handed pitcher walked another batter in the second and hit another two for the only base runners of the day. Stewart tossed six complete innings with five strikeouts for the 60th win of her OU career. Ratliff relieved Stewart in the seventh and closed out the game by retiring the three batters in order.

"I got off to a shaky start, but felt better towards the fifth, sixth and seventh innings," Stewart said. "My pitches started working and I got on track. My change-up worked really well this afternoon."

OU got on the board in the second inning when Davis walked and went to third on a Leah Gulla (Huntington Beach, Calif.) double to right field. She scored when catcher Frenchy Nix over-threw a pickoff attempt that went past the third baseman.

Sophomore Jennifer Stump (West Palm Beach, Fla.) hit a solo homer out to left center to give OU a 2-0 lead in the fourth. The Sooners' final runs game in a two-run, two-hit fifth inning that started with a Kelli Braitsch (Broken Arrow, Okla.) single to left. Junior Christy Ring (Westminster, Calif.) followed up with an RBI triple to left field that landed just short of clearing the fence and she scored on a sacrifice fly by Lisa Carey (Topeka, Kan.).

"I think we are more potentially explosive on offense than being limited to the four hits we had today," said OU head coach Patty Gasso. "We're better than that, but our pitchers did a good job of taking control of the game and our defense was very solid."

In other tournament action, Tulsa defeated Wichita State 1-0 at Reaves Park.

The OU adidas Classic will wrap up Sunday with four games scheduled at the OU Softball Complex. Creighton will open the action against Wichita State at 10 a.m. and Tulsa at 12:15 p.m. The Sooners will play in the final two games, facing the Shockers at 2:30 p.m. and the Golden Hurricane immediately following at 4:45 p.m.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Softball Shuts Out Creighton in adidas Classic

Related News

Related Videos

Sponsors