Softball Completes Run-Rule Sweep

NORMAN, Okla. -- The No. 11 Oklahoma softball team (17-4) completed a run-rule doubleheader sweep of Arkansas (7-10) on Wednesday evening at the OU Softball Complex. In the rubber game, the Sooners finished off the Lady'Backs in the bottom of the sixth inning for a 8-0 win. Earlier in the afternoon, OU defeated Arkansas 12-0 in a five inning run-rule contest. The win extended the Sooners winning streak to 15 games, which is the longest since an 18 streak in 2003.

After battering the Lady'Backs 12-0 in the opener, OU immediately went to work at the plate in the second game . The Sooners were ahead 2-0 after one frame and 5-0 after two innings.

Junior Kristin Vesely (3-for-4) drove in the first run with a double into the right center gap. The two-base knock extended Vesely's hitting streak to 14 games, which is a career high and the longest by an OU player since 2000. Senior Jessica Leslie (0-for-2) collected her 19th RBI of the year with a sacrifice fly three batters later.

Game 1: OU 12, Arkansas 5 | Game 2: OU 8, Arkansas 0

The first run of the third inning scored on an error by the Lady'Back center fielder. Run number two was driven in by Vesely on big bouncer up the middle and the third score was plated on a Christina Enea (2-for-3) sacrifice fly.

Freshman Savannah Long (1-for-3, two runs) cleared two fences with a mammoth home run in the six inning to put the Sooners ahead by a six spot. The long ball was the first of her career and the first to completely leave the park this season.

Enea ended the game with a two-run single to center in the bottom of the sixth inning. Enea finished the contest with 3 RBI and the doubleheader with 5 RBI.

Freshman Stacy Braddock got the start and had dominating stuff. She worked five innings of three hit ball while striking out nine batters and walking just one. The win improved her record to 5-2 and makes her the third member of the staff (Keiter and Denes) to reach five wins.

OU will head west on Thursday evening to compete in the Las Vegas Classic. OU opens play with Illinois Chicago at 4 p.m. (CST) on Friday. The Sooners are also scheduled to play No. 14 Washington, No. 20 Oregon, Drake and the host school, UNLV.

Game Notes: The run rule win was the eighth of the season for OU ... OU has 10 shutouts this season and five in the last six games ... OU has outscored opponents 114-10 during its 15-game winning streak ... Norrelle Dickson extended her hitting streak to 10 games, which is a career high ... OU has hit a double in 15 straight games ... Vesely's three hits tied a career high for the 10th time in her career ... She has three hits in five contests this season ... Vesely also stole two bases, it marked the third time she has reached this career high ... Stacia Aleman collected two hits, tying her career high for the seventh time ... OU is batting .386 during its 15-game winning streak with 18 home runs and 105 RBI ... The pitching staff has a combined ERA of 0.77 during the streak and has allowed one run in the last six contests.

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