Sooners Eclipse Sun Devils, 6-0

March 1, 2003

Tempe, Ariz. - Oklahoma's Kelli Braitsch hit an inside-the-park home run to lead off the game and the Sooners cruised to a 6-0 win over No. 10 Arizona State in Tempe Saturday evening. OU improved to 10-3 and handed the Sun Devils (15-5) their second consecutive loss in front of their home crowd. The Sooners beat ASU, 7-2, Friday night.

With the win, No. 9 Oklahoma shut out its second top-10 opponent this season. The Sooners blanked No. 7 Cal State Fullerton, 3-0, at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga., last weekend.

OU lefty Kami Keiter pitched her second complete game for the Sooners in Tempe. Keiter allowed five hits, walked three and struck out six batters in the shutout. She moved to 9-1 with the victory.

"Keiter did a great job tonight," said head coach Patty Gasso. "It's tough facing them a second time but she hit her locations and didn't give them many opportunities."

After Braitsch's homer, OU continued its quick start in the first stanza as Heather Scaglione (1-for-3) singled to plate Leah Gulla and Christina Enea scored when Jennifer Stump (1-for-2) reached on an error by the ASU shortstop to give OU a 3-0 lead.

The Sun Devils went three up and three down in the bottom of the first as OU sustained its momentum with a stout defense.

In the top of the second, senior centerfielder Erin Evans (3-for-4) homered over the familiar centerfield wall to extend OU's lead to 4-0.

OU continued the shutout in the third inning. Shortstop Kelli Braitsch, displaying incredible body control, snatched a ball out of the air over her shoulder for an out in a dramatic defensive stand for the Sooners.

Arizona State mounted its most significant rally in the bottom of the sixth. State loaded the bases on a controversial error that was attributed to Braitsch when the umpires determined that an ASU runner had not interfered with her opportunity to field a grounder.

The Sun Devils would quickly learn not to mess with the shortstop from Broken Arrow, Okla. Braitsch promptly snagged the next line drive to her side and snuffed out the Sun Devils' scoring threat.

In her next opportunity at the plate in the top of the seventh, Braitsch thundered a two-run homer that tore past the palms around the outfield wall into the Arizona night to deliver the 6-0 verdict.

"We played with incredible heart," said Gasso. "It would have been tough for any team to have beaten us tonight."

The Sooners play two games on Sunday to conclude their trip to the Grand Canyon State. OU battles UC-Riverside at 10:30 a.m. and faces Arizona State for the final time in Tempe at 1 p.m.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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