Softball Splits Doubleheader With Houston

The No. 5 Oklahoma softball team split a Saturday double-header with Houston to finish the weekend series with a 2-1 record. OU won the opener of the twinbill 2-1 but were avenged by Cougars in the rubber match by a score of 2-1. OU is now 18-5-1 on the season while the Cougars improved to 19-8 with the split.

In the first game of the twinbill the Sooners jumped out to early 2-0 lead by taking advantage of three Houston errors. Christina Enea plated freshman Norrelle Dickson, who reached on an error at first base, with a sacrifice fly in the top half of the first inning. Dickson dropped down a sacrifice bunt that was thrown away at first base and allowed junior Jessica Leslie to trot home for a two-run lead in second.

Sophomore Nicole Denes started the game and worked 4.1 innings of three-hit ball. She allowed one run to the Cougars on a solo home run by catcher Arelis Ferreris in the second inning. Junior Kami Keiter relieved Denes and worked two-plus scoreless innings for her second save of the season. Denes picked up the win and improved to 13-4 on the year.

Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score

Denes started in the circle again for OU in the get-away game. The Cougars touched up the Sooner sophomore for one unearned run in the second inning. Veterans Enea and Heather Scaglione responded with a two-out rally in the top of the third inning. Enea ripped a double to the left-center wall and was promptly knocked in on a single by Scaglione. Through three innings the game was tied at 1-1.

The deadlock was short lived as Houston would pull ahead 2-1 after scoring another unearned run in the fourth inning. After allowing the go-ahead run Denes was pulled for junior April Valdez. Valdez worked her way out of bases loaded jam by getting Cougar clean-up hitter Jenilee Skender to fly out.

After allowing back-to-back hits to lead off the sixth, Valdez was relieved by Keiter. Keiter worked her magic again getting three outs after coming in with runners at first and third and nobody out.

The Cougars pitching staff was able to contain OU's offense all weekend. Five of OU's eight weekend runs were unearned and the Houston staff struck out a three-game total of 22 Sooner batters. OU had only struck out 71 times in 21 contests sentering the weekend.

Next weekend the Sooners host the OU/Worth Invitational from Friday, March 12, through Sunday, March 14. Oklahoma opens the tourney Friday at 2:45 p.m., with a doubleheader against New Mexico. The Sooners will play a doubleheader against Centenary and McNeese State the following two days with both twinbills beginning at 2:45 p.m.

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