Softball Dominant On Gasso's Big Day

NORMAN, Okla. -- With momentum in hand from a 11-1 win in the home opener, the No. 13 Oklahoma softball team run ruled (six innings) the Creighton Bluejays by a score of 8-0 in the nightcap of a Friday afternoon twinbill at the OU/Nike Classic. The win capped off a perfect day for the Sooners, who scored 17 runs and notched wins No. 500 and 501 in the OU career of head coach Patty Gasso.

OU's offense didn't miss a beat from the opener. The Sooners had five runs on the board before Creighton starter
Tammi Nielsen recorded an out and a total of six by the end of the frame.

Leadoff hitter Norrelle Dickson began the rally by singling to left and scoring on a RBI double by Kristin Vesely, who has driven in nine runs in the last four games.

Box Scores: OU 8, Creighton 0 (6 Inn.) | OU 11, Lipscomb 1 (5 Inn.)

Two batters later cleanup hitter Heather Scaglione knocked in two runners with double to the right-center wall. Next up was senior Jessica Leslie who cleared the bases with a line-drive home run to left field. Leslie scored the sixth run on junior Nicole Denes' second double of the season.

Nielsen was able to hold the OU bats at bay until the sixth inning when OU scored two runs to clinch their second run-rule victory of the day. Scaglione's (2-for-4) third RBI of the game and a wild pitch that plated senior Christina Enea sealed the deal in the sixth.

The OU offense has scored 34 runs in the last four games. In the previous five contests they had mustered just three runs.

Overshadowed by all the offense was senior starter Kami Keiter, who dealed a one-hit, 12 strikeout performance to extend her scoreless innings streak to 18. During the stretch, which began Feb. 5 and spans four appearances, she has allowed just five hits and struck out 19 batters.

For Keiter, who is a ground ball pitcher, it marks the fourth time in her career that she has struck out 10 or more batters. It is also the seventh one-hitter of her career.

Gasso, who won the 500th game of her Sooner career in the opener of the doubleheader, has a record of 501-166-1 in 11 seasons at OU. In 15 seasons as a head coach, including four at Long Beach City College, Gasso has a record of 663-224-1.

The Sooners will play one game in OU/Nike Classic action tomorrow at 2:30 p.m., when they face the Bluejays for a second time. OU has a doubleheader with Lipscomb and North Texas on Sunday.

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