Sooner Softball Hits The Road Again

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Feb. 27, 2002

NORMAN, Okla. - OU will travel to sunny Florida this weekend to play in the Florida International University Golden Panther Invitational (March 1-3) in Miami, Fla. Other teams included in the tournament field are Auburn, Connecticut, No. 20 Florida Atlantic, Florida International and Wichita State. The games will be played at University Park and start times are Eastern Standard Time (EST).

The tournament begins on Friday with the Sooners competing in the 3 and 5 p.m. slots against host FIU and Auburn, respectively. The Sooners hit the field early Saturday morning with a 9 a.m. start time against Connecticut followed by a 1 p.m. game against 20th-ranked Florida Atlantic. Sunday's opponent and game time will be determined by the results of the previous two days.

The Last Time Out
Oklahoma split a pair of games Sunday in final day of the NFCA Leadoff Classic held in Columbus, Ga. OU defeated No. 19 Notre Dame, 3-2, Sunday morning and lost to Wisconsin, 2-1, in the Silver Bracket Consolation Title Game.

In the first game, OU was able to hold off Notre Dame when, in the bottom of the seventh inning, Sooner rightfielder Jennifer Stump threw out Nicole deFau to end the game. Earlier, Oklahoma overcame a 1-0 deficit to tie it in the fourth on Heather Scaglione's RBI single and took a two-run lead in the sixth inning after RBI's by Tiffany Weight (infield single) and Kami Keiter (sacrifice fly). Notre Dame cut it to 3-2 on a home run by Jarrah Myers before Stump's defensive play gave OU the win.

Against Wisconsin, the Badgers scored runs in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings to beat Oklahoma. Two Sooners errors led to a Wisconsin run in the fifth and Erin Barnhurst hit the game-winning RBI single for the Badgers in the sixth. OU had taken the lead in its half of the first on a run-scoring double by Stump.

NFCA Leadoff Classic Recap
Oklahoma emerged from a tough NFCA Leadoff Classic field, in which 12 of the competitors were ranked, with a 3-3 record. OU opened the tournament on Friday with its second win of the season over Utah, 8-1. In the nightcap, Crimson Tide hurler Shelley Laird held the Sooners to three hits and carried a no-hitter through five innings in No. 18 Alabama's 6-1 victory over OU.

On Saturday, the team rebounded with a 4-3 victory over Wisconsin with three of the runs coming courteousy of a Jennifer Stump homer. Later in the day, the Sooners again ran into a hot pitcher as they lost 1-0 to No. 10 Michigan as Wolverine pitcher Marissa Young shut out the Sooners on one hit.

Oklahoma faced its third top 25 team of the classic when it met up with No. 19 Notre Dame on Sunday morning. The Sooners defeated the Fighting Irish, 3-2, before falling, 2-1, in their rematch with Wisconsin in the Silver Bracket Consolation title game.

Diamond Notes
* The team's 12-0 start to begin the season matched the program's best start ever which was set just a year ago.

* Sophomore lefthander Adrianne Ratliff lasted 12.1 to begin the season without giving up a walk before issuing her first free pass on Sunday against No. 19 Notre Dame.

* Junior rightfielder Jennifer Stump put together a career-high eight-game hitting streak that ended over the weekend. Stump batted .360 (9-for-25) with seven runs scored, 12 RBI and two home runs.

* OU has three base stealers that are perfect on the season in steal attempts (of more than one). Senior leftfielder Christy Ring leads the team with 11 in 11 attempts and junior centerfielder Erin Evans and freshman second baseman Jessica Leslie are 5-for-5.

* Lefthander Kami Keiter is currently sporting the staff's best ERA at 0.24. The Arvada, Colo., freshman gave up one earned run in her first start versus Louisiana-Monroe and has not given up an earned run since (spanning 22.1 innings).

In The Clutch
The Sooners are doing some of the best hitting this year when it counts. On the season with the bases loaded, OU is batting an even .400. With runners in scoring position, the team is hitting at a .333 clip. Freshman catcher Christina Enea has one of the best averages on the team in both categories with a .500 average with the bases loaded and a .381 average with runners in scoring position. Also, 44 of the team's 96 RBI have come with two outs with junior third baseman Leah Gulla leading the way with 10 of those to her credit.

Moving On Up
Over the last three seasons, senior leftfielder Christy Ring has made a steady ascent up many of the Sooners' career offensive record lists. Now in her fourth and final season at Oklahoma, the Westminster, Calif., native is nearing the peak of several of those charts. As Ring enters the weekend, she sits four runs scored and stolen bases short of tying the school records. Ring has also moved into the top five spots on the career walks drawn (second), total bases (fourth), triples (fifth) and hits (third) list.

Two More Down
Senior hurler Jennifer Stewart captured two more OU career pitching records over the weekend when she became the school's all-time appearances and games started leader. The lefty solely owns the records with 111 starts in 134 outings. Stewart now just has the complete games, innings pitched, shutouts, strikeouts and ERA crowns left to accomplish in her career.

Outstanding Relief Efforts
Oklahoma's bullpen has been nearly untouchable so far this season in their relief efforts. In 32.2 innings of work, the Sooner relief corp has surrendered only three runs, 18 hits and seven walks, while striking out 30. The solid relief performances have led to five of the team's 14 wins, while they have also racked up two saves.

Seniors Angela Foster and Jennifer Stewart, sophomore Adrianne Ratliff and freshman Kami Keiter make up the Oklahoma pitching staff and have all seen action in relief while also juggling starting duties.

In A League Of Her Own
Senior lefthanded pitcher Jennifer Stewart is on the verge of solidly establishing herself as the Sooners' all-time ace after completing a record setting first three years of her collegiate career. A two-time All-American and three-time All-Big 12 and Midwest Region selection, Stewart already tops the school career lists in victories and victory percentage and is on pace to finish her time at OU No. 1 in three other categories. Here's a look at where the Yukon, Okla., native stands on several other all-time charts:

COMPLETE GAMES
1. 101Patti Graham (1981-84)
2. 87Cheryl Jacobs (1978-80)
3. 77 Jennifer Stewart (1999-Present)

INNINGS PITCHED
1. 806.2Patti Graham (1981-84)
2. 759.2 Jennifer Stewart (1999-Present)

SHUTOUTS
1. 38Jill Most (1994-97)
2. 34Patti Graham (1981-84)
3. 33Cheryl Jacobs (1981-84)
4. 30Jennifer Stewart (1999-Present)

On The Brink
Not only is staff ace Jennifer Stewart about to break numerous school career records this season, but the senior lefty is also set to establish a personal milestone of 100 career wins. At 98 career victories, Stewart stands just two wins shy of the century mark. Stewart, who owns the all-time wins crown at OU, already outdistances her next closest Sooner on the list by 22 victories.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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