Softball Eases Past San Diego State 8-2

Feb. 23, 2001

COLUMBUS, Ga. - The Oklahoma offense came alive and recorded a season-high 18 hits in an 8-2 win over San Diego State in the NFCA Leadoff Classic. The Sooners raised their record to 12-0 and are off to the best start in school history, while the Aztecs drop to 6-6.

"We were trying to set the tone and score early," said head coach Patty Gasso. "We haven't been doing that so it was nice to come out and get those two runs in the first. When we do that, it opens the door and gets us going and all the players feed off that."

Left-handed pitcher Adrianne Ratliff (Claremore, Okla.) limited the Aztecs to two runs off seven hits and struck out four. "Adrianne has better days ahead of her," Gasso said of the freshman's outing. "She's good at not allowing our opponents to hit the ball as hard as they were."

San Diego State used three pitchers in a game that saw OU tally 18 hits. The Sooners got off to a quick start with the first three batters getting singles. Senior Mandy Fulton (Del City, Okla.) grounded out to second, but scored Kelli Braitsch (Broken Arrow, Okla.). Sophomore Jennifer Stump (West Palm Beach, Fla.) reached on an error by the second baseman as Christy Ring (Westminster) crossed home plate to make it 2-0.

In the second inning, OU increased its lead on back-to-back home runs to left field by Ashli Barrett (Oklahoma City) and Leah Gulla (Huntington Beach, Calif.). Senior Andrea Davis (West Jordan, Utah) singled up the middle in the third and scored on an Erin Evans (Lawton, Okla.) single to left field.

A three-run fifth was fueled by Fulton and Davis, who led off with a pair of base-hit singles. Stump cleaned up the bases with a three-run homer that sailed over the deepest part of center field for the final runs.

All nine starters recorded at least one hit as Davis paced OU with a 3-for-4 performance and scored two runs. Braitsch, Ring, Fulton, Evans, Barrett and Gulla each recorded two hits in the game.

The Sooners close out their pool play against South Carolina at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. Following the conclusion of all the morning games, the teams will be seeded and begin bracket play that afternoon.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Softball Eases Past San Diego State 8-2

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