Sooners Tame Lions, 7-2, In Softball Action

March 18, 2002

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - On the end leg of their California swing, No. 6 Oklahoma cruised to a 7-2 victory over Loyola Marymount at the LMU Softball Field Monday afternoon. OU scored five runs in the first three innings to claim the lead for good as the team pounded out 14 hits and got solo home runs from junior shortstop Kelli Braitsch (2-for-3) and junior third baseman Leah Gulla (2-for-4). The Sooners improved to 26-8 overall and the Lions fell to 12-20.

After the Lions' tagged OU starting pitcher Angela Foster for two runs in the second frame, senior Jennifer Stewart came on get the final out of the inning and hold Loyola scoreless over the next five innings. Stewart only relinquished two hits, while striking out six en route to her 12th win of the season.

Braitsch scored the Sooners' first two runs of the game. She led off the game with a triple and scored on a RBI-single by Gulla to put the Sooners up 1-0. Braitsch then made it a 2-0 ballgame with a solo homer to left field in the second inning.

Loyola Marymount struck back in the second inning to tie the game up at 2-2. Lions first baseman Emily Foltz (1-for-3) sent a solo home run to left field to plate the first run. LMU catcher Trisha Gomes (1-for-3) followed with a single and, after reaching second base, came home on a base hit by second baseman Casie Phillips (1-for-3) and an error by OU rightfielder Jennifer Stump (2-for-3).

Oklahoma regained the lead in the third frame by countering with three more runs. With one out, freshman catcher Christina Enea (2-for-2) began a string of five straight hits with her 12th double of the season. Stump then singled Enea home and moved to third on a double by freshman designated player Heather Scaglione (2-for-4). The next two singles in consecutive at bats, by freshman first baseman Kami Keiter (2-for-4) and junior centerfielder Erin Evans (2-for-3), plated Stump and Scaglione to give the Sooners a 5-2 cushion.

OU added two more runs in the final two innings on Gulla's home run in the sixth and Evans doubled in Keiter, who had singled in the previous at bat, in the seventh.

Oklahoma opens up Big 12 Conference competition on Thursday with a doubleheader against No. 5 Nebraska that begins at 5 p.m. at the OU Softball Complex.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Sooners Tame Lions, 7-2, In Softball Action

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