OU Softball Run-Rules Northwestern, Awaits No. 1 Arizona

TUCSON, Ariz. Everything fell into place for the No. 21 Oklahoma softball team as it run-ruled Northwestern, 8-0, in six innings to advance in the winner's bracket at the NCAA Softball Region I Championships in Tucson, Ariz. on Friday afternoon.

Kami Keiter tossed a seven-hit shutout and drove in four runs to power the No. 2 seed Sooners. OU will play No. 1 Arizona at 1:30 p.m. (CST) Saturday. Arizona advanced by beating No. 9 Louisiana Lafayette 4-0 on Friday afternoon.

“This was a complete performance,” said OU head coach Patty Gasso. “We came in ready to compete and played one of our best games of the season. It was good to see our offense cash in on nearly all of our opportunities. Kami Keiter and Heather Scaglione had a lot to do with that.”

Oklahoma extended its regional win streak to 18 , which dates back to the 2000 season. It also marks the first time since March 10 (doubleheader against Missouri) that OU has shutout consecutive opponents.

Arizona Regional ActionKeiter improved her career postseason record to 14-7 and her season mark to 19-12. She has not allowed an earned run in 12 innings of regional action, while allowing just eight hits, walking one and striking out 10.

Keiter continued to carry a clutch bat for the Sooners this postseason. Her solo home run in the fourth inning gave the Sooners a 2-0 lead. It was Keiter's first long ball of the season and her fourth postseason RBI this year. She drove in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh in OU's 1-0 victory over Kansas in the Big 12 Tournament (May 14).

“That was something to see,” said Scaglione of Keiter's home run. “She was so fired up and that energy carried through the entire team.”

Scaglione drove in the Sooners' third run in the fifth inning to snap a streak of five games without an RBI. Scaglione, who's battling a severely sprained right ankle, had not driven in a run since the first game of the Big 12 Tournament when OU defeated Baylor 5-2. The five game streak was the longest of the season for the Big 12's top slugger.

Amber Spaulding pinch ran for Scaglione and would come around to score on a base loaded passed ball. Keiter put the game out of reach with a three-run double later in the fifth inning. The Sooners plated five runs in the frame to pull ahead 7-0. Keiter upped her postseason RBI total to seven RBI, which is in contrast to her regular season RBI total of two.

“It was a full count, so I knew she had to throw something in the zone,” said Keiter. “I was looking to drive the ball and ended up going with the screw ball that she left up on the outer half.”

Scaglione finished the game with a RBI single the bottom of the sixth inning. Dickson scored OU's eighth run and gave the Sooners their first run-rule victory since April 24 when it beat Kansas 10-1.

OU's first run was driven in by April Valdez with an infield single in the second inning.

Kami Keiter gave up more hits in the first two innings against Northwestern than she did in six innings of one-hit work against Temple on Thursday. Northwestern threatened with three hits in the first two frames but couldn't push anything past second base as Keiter stifled the Wildcats bats with runners on base all afternoon.

OU handed Northwestern starter Eileen Canney just her fourth loss this season. She fell to 18-4 while the Wildcats dropped to 33-19.

OU's contest with the No. 1 team in the land will be broadcast by College Sports Television. Click on the College Sports Television for information on which cable providers carry the station. Fans in the OKC-Metro area can find the game on KREF (1400 AM) with Tony Sellars pulling the one man show.