Softball Downs Texas 4-1 in Red River Rivalry

April 7, 2001

NORMAN, Okla. -- - Seventh-ranked Oklahoma (31-7, 6-2 Big 12) knocked around Texas starter Charla Moore for 11 hits and defeated the Longhorns 4-1 on Saturday afternoon. OU's Jennifer Stewart limited UT to just six hits and struck out four to pick up her 77th career win, breaking the school record previously held by Jill Most (1994-97).

The Sooners got two hits in each of the first five innings and scored a single run in the first four innings. But OU kept Texas in the game by stranding nine runners on base, including five in scoring position.

"I'd like to see us not leave so many runners in scoring position," said head coach Patty Gasso. "We could have broken the game open, but didn't. The meat of our lineup needs to drive in more runs for us."

Texas (19-20, 2-5) scored its only run in the first inning when leadoff hitter Tiffiny Valdehueza walked to get on base. Kathleen Richter advanced her to second with a single to center and catcher Marlo Hanks plated Valdehueza on a fielder's choice to second.

With two outs, UT second baseman Sarah Wieszczak tried to keep the Longhorns going. She hit a ball to third baseman Leah Gulla that took a bad hop and hit her in the throat. But Gulla recovered quickly and threw her out at first to get the Sooners out of the inning.

OU answered with a run of its own when Kelli Braitsch led off with one of her three hits on the day. This one was a double to left and she went to third on a Christy Ring sacrifice bunt. First baseman Lisa Carey hit a ball to third baseman Missy Malchi, who held Braitch at third and then threw to first. But her throw sailed right and Braitsch scored to tie the game at 1-1.

Gulla recorded a double in her third consecutive game with a shot to right that lead off the second inning. She scored on Braitsch's single to center with two outs.

Catcher Ashli Barrett started the third inning with a single to left. After Jennifer Stump walked and Andrea Davis singled to right to load the bases, Gulla sacrificed her at-bat by bringing Barrett home with a fly out to center.

Texas threatened in the top of the fourth when Hanks led off with a double to right center. Shortstop Tamara Poppe lined a ball to Carey, who turned it into a double play when she threw Hanks out at second. Three singles by Wieszczak, Autumn Eastes and Malchi loaded the bases, but a diving catch by Gulla at third again stopped UT from getting any runs.

In the bottom of the fourth, Braitsch recorded her second double with a hit out to right center and reached second when Ring followed with an infield single to second. Carey knocked a ball out to left that scored Braitsch for the final run of the game.

Braitsch, who went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs and an RBI, extended her hitting streak to five games. With a 2-for-3 performance, Davis had her first multi-hit game since Mar. 2.

Moore falls to 11-10 on the year after giving up the four runs on 11 hits. She struck out one and walked another.

The Sooners and Longhorns wrap up their two-game series with a final game on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the OU Softball Complex.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Softball Downs Texas 4-1 in Red River Rivalry

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