OU Deals Pokes 3-2 Loss

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - No. 4 Oklahoma handed No. 14 Oklahoma State its first loss in the Big 12 Tournament with a 3-2 win on Saturday afternoon at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City. The Sooners put up three runs in the first three innings and relied on defense to withstand a Cowgirl rally and force the rematch on Sunday morning.

"We needed some help for Keiter today," admitted head coach Patty Gasso. "Tiffany Weight was big-time. She made some tremendous plays all throughout the game. Katie Overton also did a nice job. The defense throughout did a nice job."

The teams will play their fourth round of Bedlam this season with a berth to the Big 12 Tournament championship game on the line.

Oklahoma (41-11) took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning when a wild pitch by OSU ace Lauren Bay plated Heather Scaglione from third. Kelli Braitsch (2-for-3) led off the inning with a single through the left side and Scaglione reached on a fielder's choice when the Cowgirls tossed Braitsch out at second.

Kami Keiter drew a walk from Bay and a passed ball moved Keiter to second and Scaglione to third. Scaglione then put OU up, 1-0, on the wild pitch.

The Sooners added two runs in the third after OSU replaced Bay on the mound with Sarah Seagraves. OU's Leah Gulla (1-for-3) doubled and was replaced at second by pinch runner Nikki Holt. A Kelli Braitsch single to right field brought Holt home. Braitsch helped herself to second with her seventh steal of the season and scored on a double by Heather Scaglione (1-for-4).

OSU rallied in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run homer by Ryan Realmuto. Leadoff batter Stephanie Nicholson singled to centerfield to begin the inning but a popup by Calli Behmer and a strikeout by Megan Carey threatened to stall the Cowgirls. Realmuto's blast to left field brought the Cowgirls to within one run, 3-2.

But Kami Keiter fanned Lauren Bay for the third out and OU went to the seventh with the one-run lead.

Neither team was able to muster a hit in the final stanza and Keiter struck out Crystal Lee to finish off the Pokes. Keiter (29-6) finished with seven strikeouts and one walk while allowing four hits and two earned runs. Lauren Bay suffered the loss for OSU and dropped to 24-8. Bay had three strikeouts and three walks while giving up one hit and a run in two innings. Seagraves fanned one batter, walked three and allowed two earned runs on three hits.

With the victory, Oklahoma moved to 5-0 in games against OSU in the Big 12 Tournament.

The teams meet again on Sunday morning for a chance to play in the 2:30 championship game against either Texas or Nebraska. Game times were not determined at the time of this release but will be available on SoonerSports.com.

Visit SoonerSports.com for live updates from the Phillips 66 2003 Big 12 Softball Tournament.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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