Softball Swats Valpo For Sweep

NORMAN, Okla. -- The No. 9 Oklahoma softball team (23-4) extended its winning streak to 21 games on Thursday night by sweeping a home doubleheader with Valparaiso (0-8). The Sooners won the opener, 7-2, and the rubber game, 9-2, and are in the midst of the second longest winning streak in program history. The Sooners are two shy of the school record of 23, which was set in 2001.

Junior starting pitcher Nicole Denes improved to 6-0 while limiting Valparaiso to two hits in the opener. The Coppell, Texas native struck out nine batters and allowed two runs (one earned). Denes had a no hitter going through the first six frames before losing the no-no to the first batter in the seventh.

Senior Jessica Leslie went 2-for-3 with three RBI, including two in OU's four-run first inning. The other first inning runs were driven in by Jamie Fox on a two-run homer that cleared the stands in left field.

Box Scores: OU 7, Valparaiso 2 | OU 9, Valparaiso 2

Fox went yard again in the fifth inning. This home run was a solo shot that curved around the left field foul pole. It marked the first time an OU player has hit two home runs in a single game since 2003, when Leah Gulla accomplished the feat against UC Riverside. It also moved Fox into the team lead for home runs with five. Three others - Leslie, Tayl'r Hollis and Heather Scaglione are tied for second with four.

OU's leading run producer, Christina Enea, had one RBI before going down with a sprained ankle in the sixth inning. Enea caught a cleat in the dirt and rolled over her right ankle as she slid into second base. The senior first baseman is hitting .355 with seven extra base hits, 23 runs scored and 29 RBI.

The most impressive feat of the first game was accomplished in the Sooners' first turn at the plate. In her first at bat of the game junior Kristin Vesely extended her hitting streak to 19 games to establish a new school record. She was tied with Lisa Carey (1998-01), who set the record with an 18-gamer in 2000.

Vesely extended her record streak to 20 games in her first at bat of the second game. The centerfielder and Norrelle Dickson reached on leadoff singles and scored on a three-run home run by Leslie.

After two frames the Sooners were up 5-0 and well on their way to win No. 21 in a row. The second inning scores were driven in on one-run singles by Vesely and Scaglione.

The Sooners margin was upped to 6-0 on a RBI single by Dickson in the bottom of the third.

Leslie tied a career-high with her four RBI of the contest in the bottom of the sixth. The senior from Missouri laced a double into the left-center gap to score Vesely from first base. Solo RBIs by Tayl'r Hollis and Denes would push the Sooners lead to the brink of the run-rule minimum at 9-2.

Hollis dazzled with a 5-for-7 performance in the twin bill. She improved her batting average to .404 to become one of three Sooner hitting above .400 this season. The Sooner infielder joins Dickson (.405) and Vesely (.517).

Freshman Stacy Braddock became the third Sooner pitcher with at least six wins when she hurled the complete game victory. The Texas native stands at 6-2 after limiting the Crusaders to two runs on five hits. She also struck out eight and walked two.

OU continues its longest home stand of the season with the OU/Worth Invitational this weekend. The Sooners open tourney play with a Saturday doubleheader against Nicholls State (Noon) and UTEP (2:15 p.m.).

Game Notes: OU current winning streak is tied for second place honors with a stretch that began in the 2000 postseason and ran into 2001 regular season ... Enea was diagnosed with a sprained ankle, a timetable was not set for her return to the lineup ... Enea is the only other current player that has hit two home runs in one game ... Enea accomplished the feat against Wichita State in 2002 ... Leslie also had four RBI against Texas on April 4, 2004 ... OU has outscored its opponent 169-124 during the current winning streak ... OU has recorded 10 or more hits in 14 contests this season, including each of the last three games.

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