University of Oklahoma Athletics

Oklahoma Outlasts No. 14 Notre Dame

March 16, 2001 | Softball

By: Athletics Communications

March 16, 2001

FULLERTON, Calif. - The Oklahoma softball team wasted no time jumping out on Notre Dame (16-2) and defeated the Fighting Irish 4-2 in the Kia Klassic. The Sooners (24-3) scored all their runs in the first inning and fought off NDU rallies to improve to 3-0 in the tournament and win their pool.

Both teams closed out the game with seven hits, but OU took advantage of Notre Dame starter Jen Sharron, who lasted just 2/3 an inning. The Sooners tagged her for four runs on five hits and started when junior Christy Ring led off with a single through the left side and scored when Lisa Carey homered to right center. It was her fourth round-tripper of the year and gave OU a 2-0 lead.

Back-to-back doubles by Ashli Barrett and Jennifer Stump kept the rally going and scored Barrett. Stump scored on an RBI single to left field by Leah Gulla.

Pitcher Kristin Schmidt relieved Sharron in the first, but the damage was already done. She controlled the Sooners at the plate and gave up just two hits in the final 5 1/3 innings. Schmidt struck out seven and walked three, but got no help from the Irish offense who left five runners stranded in the final five innings.

Junior Jennifer Stewart allowed only two runs on seven hits with three of those hits coming in the second. After getting back-to-back singles to start the second inning, NDU got its runs on an RBI single up the middle by Kas Hoag and a ground out to second by Alexis Madrid. The Fighting Irish mustered only one hit in each of the third, fourth and sixth innings as Stewart forced them to hit to defenders.

Only Stump managed two hits off the Notre Dame pitching staff. She went 2-for-3 with a run and RBI. Ring, Braitsch, Carey, Barrett and Gulla accounted for the other five hits.

As the No. 1 seed from the D pool, fifth-ranked Oklahoma will take on New Mexico State at 7 p.m. CT on Friday night. The Aggies are 0-3 in the tournament and the No. 4 seed from pool A.

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