Louisville Edges Softball, 2-1

CLEARWATER, Fla. Louisville handed the No. 4 Oklahoma softball team its first loss of the season by a score of 2-1 at the Clearwater Invitational (Fla.) on Saturday afternoon. A solid outing by freshman hurler Stacy Braddock was wasted as OU's offense and defense struggled in key situations. The loss dropped OU to 2-1 and improved Louisville to 2-1.

The Sooners didn't have a hit after three innings but they managed to pull ahead 1-0 on a walk and pair of mistakes by the Louisville battery. UL catcher Lacy Wood allowed a ball to squirt by her, which moved OU pinch runner Jade Prather over to third. Two pitches later UL starter Catherine Bishop uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Prather to come home.

After throwing three perfect innings in her collegiate debut against Appalachian State on Friday, it took one Cardinal batter to end Sooner freshman Stacy Braddock's hitless streak. The freshman was undeterred by the early miscue. She worked five innings allowing four hits and two unearned runs to extend her unearned runs streak to eight innings.

Box Score

A two-out error in the fourth inning by freshman shortstop Tayl'r Hollis led to the only blemishes on Braddock's line. The booted ball put Cardinals at second and third. The lead runner scored on a RBI single by Jen Skaggs. UL first baseman Aja Sherman followed with another single to put Louisville ahead 2-0.

The Sooners had runners in scoring position in each of the final three innings but couldn't capitalize against Bishop. Bishop was not spectacular in allowing allowed just one Sooner hit. She walked five batters and hit two others while working out of jams all afternoon.

The Sooners' lone hit came in the seventh inning courtesy of pinch hitter Kami Keiter.

Bishop improved to 2-0 while Braddock was the hard luck loser falling to 1-1 on her freshman campaign.

It marked the second consecutive season that OU has lost to Louisville, who also knocked them off in Norman during the 2004 OU/Nike Classic.

The No. 4 Sooners will continue Clearwater Invitational play at 5 p.m. (EST) when they face host Florida on Field 8.

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