Softball Shuts Out Oklahoma State for Big 12 Title

May 12, 2001

Postgame Photo Gallery

OKLAHOMA CITY - Fifth-ranked Oklahoma (45-7) shut out Oklahoma State (28-22) for the third time this year but this time it was for the 2001 Big 12 Tournament Championship. OU ace Jennifer Stewart gave up just five hits and the Sooners tallied nine of their own as they downed OSU 6-0 in front of 1,703 fans at Don Porter Hall of Fame Stadium on Saturday.

The win was the 18th-consecutive for the Sooners and gave OU its first tournament title since 1996. It also extended OU's streak of 19 scoreless innings against the Cowgirls.

Stewart (32-3) started slow, giving up two hits in the first inning, but picked up steam as the game continued. It looked like OSU would gets some runs on the board when Jenny Kipp and Danielle Thomas led off the first with a pair of singles. But Stewart struck out Amanda Hayes and got Ryan Realmuto to ground into a double play to get out of the inning.

Stewart threw just four pitches in the fourth, retiring a string of nine batters before the Cowgirls got another runner on base in the fifth. First baseman Stephanie Hodges started the fifth by reaching on a Braitsch error. The next two batters popped up for outs and Casey O'Neill singled to left before Lezli Leathers popped up to short for the third out.

The Sooners scored just one run in the first after loading the bases. OSU starter Tiffany Paper led off with back-to-back walks to Kelli Braitsch and Christy Ring. That brought up Lisa Carey, who flew out to left but Ashli Barrett got hit by a pitch to fill the bags. Sophomore Jennifer Stump plated a run with a sacrifice fly to center, but Erin Evans flew out to left to end the inning.

Stump, Evans and Mandy Fulton loaded the bases with consecutive triples. With no outs on the board, Leah Gulla popped up and Leathers dropped the ball, but was called out immediately because of the infield fly rule. But Papers picked up the ball and errored on the throw that allowed Stump and Evans to score.

Carey led off the fifth with a single to left center. She scored when Stump sailed a ball over the left-center fence for her ninth homer of the year. Oklahoma State pulled Paper, who closed out the game with five runs (four earned) on six hits in just 4 1/3 innings. She struck out only two while walking four.

Sophomore Lauren Bay relieved Paper and limited OU to just one run on three hits with three strikeouts and four walks.

Stump led the OU hitters with a 3-for-3 day that included a homer, two runs and two RBIs. Evans also went 2-for-3 and scored a pair of runs.

Four Sooners were named to the Big 12 All-Tournament team, including Barrett, Carey, Stewart and Stump. Carey was named the MVP after hitting .400 with five RBIs and a homer in the four games.

Looking to host an NCAA Regional, the Sooners will find out its fate in the NCAA Tournament when the bracket is announced on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Fans can join the Sooners at the Santee Lounge in Oklahoma Memorial Stadium as they watch the field unfold. Doors open at 7 p.m. and admission is free.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Softball Shuts Out Oklahoma State for Big 12 Title

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