Softball Hosts Texas Tech For Big 12 Conference Home Opener

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March 29, 2002

NORMAN, Okla. - Following the cancellation of the Nebraska series last week, Oklahoma (29-8) finally hosts its first Big 12 Conference series of the season at the OU Softball Complex. The Texas Tech Red Raiders (10-24) ride into Norman for a doubleheader Friday night beginning at 5 p.m. The second game of the twilight twinbill will start at 7 p.m.

OU, who owns a 16-3 lead in the all-time series, will be looking to extend its current five-game winning streak over Tech. The first game of the doubleheader will mark a milestone as the Sooners will play their 100th game at the OU Softball Complex.

Friday night's special promotion is Youth Night and the first 500 fans through the gate will receive a free OU visor.

Last Time Out
In a wild six inning affair which bounced back and forth through the first three innings, ninth ranked Oklahoma defeated Tulsa, 14-6, in front of 1,048 fans at the Hardesty Sports Complex on the TU campus Wednesday night. The two teams scored 14 of the game's 20 runs in the first three innings as Oklahoma scored six runs over the next three innings to secure the run-rule victory. Junior rightfielder Jennifer Stump (3-for-5) crushed two home runs in the game, one coming in OU's key seven-run second inning in which it took the lead for good. Freshman pitcher Kami Keiter improved to 7-4 on the season after coming on in relief of starter Jennifer Stewart in the second inning.

Scouting Texas Tech
Texas Tech (10-24, 0-4 Big 12) is struggling through a tough start to begin the 2002 season. Winless in their last 10 games, the Red Raiders have yet to earn a victory in Big 12 Conference competition in four attempts. The last time Tech won a game was their second win in a row over New Mexico, 2-1, in which they took two of the three games against the Lobos for the series victory.

The Red Raiders' bats have failed them this season as Tech is only batting .243 on the year, which places them last in the Big 12 in the category. Junior outfielder Esmerelda Perez paces the team with a .306 average, while senior utility player Rebecca Eimen leads the squad in home runs with four and runs scored with 19.

Tech has not gotten the job done in the circle as well as they also sport a league-low 5.49 ERA. Inexperience has plagued the Red Raiders in the circle as three of their four pitchers are freshmen. First year player Kristina Blair has racked up half of the team's wins on the season with five victories to her credit as freshman Amie Stines leads the team in ERA at 4.70 and complete games with four.

OU Softball Complex Celebrates 100th Game
The first game of Friday's doubleheader against Texas Tech will be the 100th game played by the Sooners at the OU Softball Complex. Since its opening in 1998, Oklahoma has compiled an 87-12 (.879) record. Coming off the 2001 season where OU was a perfect 18-0 at the Complex, the Sooners have extended their home winning streak to 42 straight games over the last three seasons after winning their first 12 games this season.

In the 12 games, OU has recorded a .357 average and hit over half of its home runs at the Complex, while the Sooner pitching staff is only allowing a 1.58 ERA and opponents to hit .151 against them.

The last time Oklahoma lost at home was on April 14, 2000, in the first game of a doubleheader against Nebraska.

Stewart Strong In Relief
After picking up a win and a save in relief last week, starting pitcher Jennifer Stewart has proven that she can also be a force from the bullpen for the Sooners. In 10 relief appearances this year, Stewart has won four games and saved two more in relief, while giving up only two earned runs in 21.1 innings pitched for a 0.66 ERA. During that span, opponents have only collected 10 hits and two walks off of the senior, while she has fanned 18 batters. Stewart has not surrendered an earned run in her last four outings.

Breaking Out The Big Stick
Junior shortstop Kelli Braitsch's, who crushed nine homers last year, home run production started the season off slow this season. After hitting her first home run in the fourth game of the season, Braitsch went 26 games before hitting her next one against Rutgers in the Kia Klassic. Since that game, the junior shortstop has turned it on and hit three more in the last two weeks.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Softball Hosts Texas Tech For Big 12 Conference Home Opener

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