Scrappy Softball Begins Big 12 Tourney With 5-2 Win

OKLAHOMA CITY Motivated by a makeshift lineup the No. 21 Oklahoma (39-17-1) softball team began the Big 12 Tournament with a rousing 5-2 win over No. 19 Baylor (44-14) on Thursday morning at the Don E. Porter Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City. The fifth-seed Sooners advance to play Nebraska, while the fourth-seed Bears fall to the loser's bracket where they will play Texas.

“I don't know that I could have scripted this game any better,” said OU head coach Patty Gasso. “Everything that we did was created by us. It was fundamental hitting, it was sacrifice flies and it was moving up runners by going to the opposite field. It was a team effort and a great way to start this tournament.”

With the recent injuries to Heather Scaglione (ankle) and Christina Enea (Achilles), OU head coach Patty Gasso had to scramble her defensive lineup. Aside from Kami Keiter, freshman Stacia Aleman was the most experienced player at second base, where she has started 16 times. No other player in the starting lineup had been penciled in at their position more than nine times this season. Kristin Vesely (catcher) and Jessica Leslie (center) were making their first start's of the season at the respective positions.

BOX SCORE | QUOTES

The new defensive look was to blame for Baylor's first inning score. After catching a foul pop-up Vesely made an ill-advised throw to third base that sailed over the head of Katie Overton. Vesely clearly thought the runner (Carrie Leerberg) was going to tag up on the play and her errant throw gave the Bears the 1-0 first inning lead.

A leadoff triple by April Valdez started the Sooners offensive rally in the third inning. Norrelle Dickson's single to left field brought home Valdez and tied the game. An error on a sacrifice by Vesely and an intentional pass to Scaglione loaded the bases. Jessica Leslie and Jamie Fox followed with a pair of sacrifice flies that put the Sooners up 3-1.

Dickson picked up her second RBI of the game in the top of the fourth inning with a single that plated Jade Prather (pinch running for Mariee Mena) from third. After three and a half frames, OU led 4-1.

A sacrifice fly by Baylor third baseman Stephanie Pomes narrowed the Sooners advantage to 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning.

An error by Baylor second baseman Carrie Leerburg gave the Sooners an insurance run and 5-2 lead after the sixth inning.

Junior Kami Keiter picked up the win and improved to 16-10, while her counterpart Cristin Vitek took the loss and fell to 28-7. Keiter retired the final seven batters in order after working out of numerous jams in the first five innings. She allowed one earned run, four hits and struck out four.

Mariee Mena, who was making just her fourth start of the season in left field, had the defensive highlight of the game. She
chased down a drive by Melissa Maler that carried down the left field line to the 190-foot sign. She snagged the foul ball and barreled through the temporary fence for the first out of the sixth inning.

Scaglione started at designated player for the fist time this season. She continued her season-long assault on the Big 12 pitching with a 2-for-3 day, that included her 40th walk of the season. Scaglione had reached base safely in 11 straight at bats before flying out in the fifth inning. She is two base on balls away from claiming the OU single-record held by Casey Dickson (41 in 1997).

Oklahoma lost both conference games (April 17, 18) to Nebraska this season but defeated the Huskers during non-conference play at the Kia Klassic (March 19).

BIG 12 TOURNAMENT CENTRAL

Inclement weather has postponed Big 12 Softball Tournament play Thursday at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. Action will resume on Friday at 10 a.m. and Oklahoma will meet Nebraska at 12:30 p.m. on the main field.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Scrappy Softball Begins Big 12 Tourney With 5-2 Win

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