Softball Batters Arkansas, 12-0

NORMAN, Okla. -- The No. 11 Oklahoma softball team battered three Arkansas pitchers in route to a 12-0 run-rule (five inning) victory at the OU Softball Complex on Wednesday afternoon. The win marked the Sooners 14th in a row and improved their season record to 16-4, while Arkansas fell to 7-9. The Sooners and Lady'Backs will play the rubber game of the midweek doubleheader at 5 p.m.

OU pulled away from Arkansas in the second inning. Junior Nicole Denes accounted for all of the second frame runs with a three-run double. The three-run knock gave Denes 10 RBI on the season, which makes her the sixth player on the team with 10 or more RBI.

Box Score

The Sooners put the game out of reach with an eight-run third inning. Four Sooners recorded RBI in the inning. The biggest blast was a foul-line hugging, three-run home run by sophomore Jamie Fox. Fox's blast gave her 10 RBI this season and made her the seventh Sooner to reach the mark.

The senior class fattened up on Lady'Back pitching in the third inning as well. Heather Scaglione had one RBI in each of her two at bats in the inning. Christina Enea had a two-run single, while Leslie had a one-run double. After the frame the duo, who have battled back and forth for the team RBI lead, sat in tie with a team-best 18 RBI apiece. The eight run effort put the advantage at 11-0.

Shortstop Savannah Long put the lead at a dozen with an RBI double in the fourth inning. The run-scoring double was the second of her career, as was the RBI.

The Sooners gave senior Kami Keiter plenty of support although she didn't need it today and hasn't for awhile. Keiter was perfect in four innings of work, striking out the final two batters of each frame for a total of eight K's.

The senior improved her scoreless streak to 39 innings during which time she has allowed just 13 hits and nine runners in scoring position, although none of the hits or runners came today. Keiter has struck out 42 batters during the stretch, tossed four solo shutouts and three combined shutouts.

Keiter was relieved by freshman Jadyn Smith, who lost the perfect game when Lady'Back Shanna Easley singled to center. Smith settled down and struck out the final two batters of the frame.

The other notable streak coming into the game was by sophomore Kristin Vesely. Vesely extended her hitting streak to 13 games, which is a career best and the longest by an OU player since 2000.

OU's winning streak is the longest since an 18 game stretch in 2003.

Game Notes: The run rule win was the seventh of the season for OU ... It also marked the fourth time this season that OU has scored 10 or more runs ... The eight-run second inning was OU's most productive frame of the year ... It marked the third time this season that OU has collected at least 12 hits ... Denes' 10 RBI is already a career single season high ... Sophomore Amber Spaulding registered her first hit of the season in the fourth inning ... OU has nine shutouts this season and four in the last five games ... OU has outscored opponents 106-10 during its 14-game winning streak ... Norrelle Dickson extended her hitting streak to nine games, which is a career high ... Heather Scaglione's third inning triple is the fourth of her career and first since 2003 ... OU has hit a double in 14 straight games.

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