No. 9 Oklahoma Rallies For 6-5 Win In Bedlam

April 3, 2002

STILLWATER, Okla. - Down 5-1 entering the top of the seventh inning, the ninth-ranked Oklahoma softball team rallied for five runs to defeat Oklahoma State 6-5 in front of a Cowgirl Stadium record crowd of 1,289 Wednesday night. After being no-hit by OSU starting hurler Lauren Bay (14-8) through 5.2 innings, the Sooners tagged Bay for the winning runs on four hits in the pivotal seventh inning with the clinching hit coming courteousy of freshman catcher Christina Enea (2-for-4). Freshman Kami Keiter (8-4), OU's third pitcher of the game, pitched the final 4.1 innings for the win and retired 13 of the 14 batters she faced, including the last 13-straight. Oklahoma won its 12th-straight game in the series and improved to 32-8 overall and 5-0 in the Big 12 Conference, while Oklahoma State fell to 22-12 and 3-4 in the league.

With Oklahoma State carrying a 5-1 lead into the top of the seventh inning and Oklahoma down to their final three outs, the Sooners mounted the winning rally. Junior shortstop Kelli Braitsch (0-for-2) and freshman Heather Scaglione (0-for-2) drew consecutive walks to lead off the inning before junior centerfielder Erin Evans (1-for-3) plated Braitsch and aggressive baserunning by Scaglione scored another as she just beat the throw home to make it a 5-3 ballgame. Keiter placed the second straight double into left field and moved Evans to third base, still with no outs in the inning. Sophomore second baseman Kaycee Clark (1-for-2) tied the game as she collected the first two RBI's of her career on a single up the middle to plate Evans and Keiter.

Following Clark's hit, the Cowgirls looked as if they were going to close out the inning as Bay quickly recorded two outs. Enea then disappointed the home crowd as she hit a single to left field to score Clark from third base for the winning run.

OU closed the gap at 5-1 by scoring a single run in the sixth inning. Two Oklahoma runners reached base on walks and Enea stepped to the plate and laced a single up the middle to break up the no hitter and the shutout as Clark scored from second.

Oklahoma State struck early with two runs in the first inning. After getting the first batter to fly out to left field, the OU starter Angela Foster was chased out of the game after giving up a double and a single in the next two at bats. Jennifer Stewart relieved Foster with runners on the corners and gave up a walk and forced the Cowgirls' rightfielder to pop out to the catcher before surrendering a two-run single to designated player Megan Carey (1-for-2).

Bay helped her own cause and put OSU up 3-0 as she led off the second frame with a solo homer, her third of the season. State continued to threaten in the inning as an error charged to OU's third baseman Leah Gulla (0-for-3) allowed the batter to reach second base and eventually third on a wild pitch before Stewart fought back to secure the final two outs and get out of the inning.

Oklahoma State scored its next two runs after two base hits and a sacrifice bunt placed runners at second and third base before a wild pitch allowed the first run to cross home plate. A sacrifice fly by OSU's second baseman Calli Behmer (0-for-2) in the next at bat scored rightfielder Jade Lindly (1-for-3), who had moved to third on the wild pitch, to give the Cowgirls a 5-0 lead after three innings.

Oklahoma travels to Ames, Iowa, for a two-game series this weekend against Iowa State beginning Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and ending on Sunday at noon.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

No. 9 Oklahoma Rallies For 6-5 Win In Bedlam

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