Sooners Rock OSU, 11-2, To Reach Big 12 Title Game

May 4, 2003

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - No. 4 Oklahoma rocked OSU with eight runs in the first inning and went on to run-rule the Cowgirls, 11-2, in five innings in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament Sunday morning in front of 946 fans at Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City. The Sooner scoring explosion in the first frame set a Big 12 Tournament record.

OSU ace Lauren Bay was unable to pitch for the Cowgirls and Oklahoma took advantage with 13 hits including three home runs and a double against OSU's Cami Carter and Sarah Seagraves. Carter took the loss for Oklahoma State and fell to 1-2 on the season.

Oklahoma (42-11) will play Texas for the 2003 Big 12 Tournament title at 2:30 p.m. at Hall of Fame Stadium. With the loss, Oklahoma State was eliminated from the tournament. The Sooners improved to 6-0 all-time against OSU in Big 12 Tournament action.

"We've been pushing one (run) across and winning by one with everything we've been doing," said head coach Patty Gasso. "We were surprised not to see Lauren Bay pitching against us, but I guess there was an injury. They just saw this as an opportunity to bust the game open and get Kami Keiter off the mound which was a beautiful thing because we didn't have to use her at all. They kept plugging and hit some good, hard balls today. It's a good way to send us into the championship game."

Freshman Dana Askins (8-4) recorded the win for OU as Patty Gasso chose to rest starter Kami Keiter after the Sooners' eight-run explosion in the first. Askins pitched four innings before freshman Nicole Denes entered to pitch the fifth stanza. Askins fanned one batter without a walk and gave up five hits. Denes struck out two batters and walked two with one hit and one earned run in the final inning.

Both Leah Gulla (2-for-4) and Kristin Vesely (2-for-4) scored two runs for the Sooners. Gulla's two hits included her 11th double and ninth home run of the season. Erin Evans (2-for-3) got in the act with her sixth home run of the season while Vesely notched her second roundtripper.

Evans had three RBI in the game while both Tiffany Weight and Christina Enea each brought two runners home.

Both teams stranded seven runners while OSU committed four errors and the Sooners committed one.

Oklahoma now will meet No. 1-seed Texas in the title game at 2:30. The Longhorns are undefeated in tournament play after beating Texas Tech, OU and Nebraska to reach the title game. The game will be televised live by Fox Sports Net (Channel 37 in Oklahoma City area, Channel 27 in Tulsa).

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

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Sooners Rock OSU, 11-2, To Reach Big 12 Title Game

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