Another No-Hitter For Eckermann

NORMAN, Okla. Continuing to shatter school records, the No. 6 Oklahoma softball team (23-0) added two more wins on Sunday as pitcher Lauren Eckermann threw her second straight no-hitter in two days to beat Wichita State, 4-0, in the second game. Eckermann also pitched the no-hitter in her start against Temple on Saturday. Eckermann's two no-hitters this weekend and D. J. Mathis' on Wednesday against Arkansas marked the first time a Sooner pair has ever combined for three no-hitters in one week.

Against Wichita State in the tournament finale, Eckermann was one error away from a perfect game. The junior transfer recorded six strikeouts and retired every batter she faced, except for the first inning when second baseman Traci Dickenson dropped a fly ball at second base.

“Wichita State had some hard hit balls today and the defense behind me did an outstanding job of covering the entire field and getting the outs,” Eckermann said on her no-hitter. “I feel like I'm starting to figure things out at the Division I level and I'm just looking to improve every time I go in the circle.”

OU 4, Wichita St. 0 | OU 21, Temple 0

The Sooners set a school record in the first game of the day as they run ruled Temple, 21-0 (5 Innings), scoring the most runs ever in a single game by an Oklahoma team. The previous record for most runs scored in a game was 19 which was done twice (OU vs. OCU on April 1, 1981 and OU vs. Utah Valley State on March 11, 2006).

The OU pitching staff threw a shut out in all four games of the Residence Inn Invitational. Eckermann led the way with 10 strikeouts in 12 complete innings while giving up no hits in both starts. D. J. Mathis pitched the complete game shut out in Saturday's game against Wichita State while Morgan Hudsonpillar improved her record to 4-0 with the run-rule win over Temple Sunday afternoon.

“This was a tremendous weekend four our pitching staff,” head coach Patty Gasso said. “We've been waiting to put something like this together and I'm excited to see their work ethic everyday at practice pay off. Our pitchers are always working together, but they like to out do each other so it's nice to have competition like that on your pitching staff. Our offense combined with our pitching right now has been spectacular for us, but we can always find ways to improve and that's what we'll continue to do.”

Offensively, Susan Ogden and Norrelle Dickson led the way at the plate for the Sooners this weekend. Ogden pounded four RBI in six at bats that included a double and a home run. Dickson recorded a .556 batting average with four RBI and two doubles. The Sooners, who are currently leading the nation in runs scored per game, combined for a .376 batting average in the four contests over the weekend. Samantha Ricketts and Amber Spaulding led the RBI race this weekend as each recorded six in the four games while Jamie Fox added five RBI.

In the tournament finale against Wichita State, Dickenson and Dickson led the way with two hits a piece as the OU offense combined for six hits.

OU, the visiting team against Wichita State, was the first to get on the board as Ricketts' sacrifice fly brought Dickson across the plate as OU led 1-0 after the top of the first.

Fox extended the lead in the top of the fourth with her solo home run over the left field fence, her fourth of the season. The senior outfielder ranks ninth on the all-time career list at OU with 24 home runs in her career. Savannah Long followed with a walk and Traci Dickenson knocked her in with an RBI double off the left field wall to extend the lead to 3-0.

Fox also made a key defensive play in the bottom of the fifth as the senior right fielder made a diving catch into right center field to save the no-hitter.

Following a Long fielder's choice and Dickenson single to left field in the top of the sixth, Dickson pounded an RBI double down the left field line to score Long as OU added its final run of the game and led 4-0 after the top of the sixth.

Oklahoma will look to continue its winning streak this next week as it will play six games in four days. The Sooners will hit the road on Wednesday night for a 6 p.m. meeting against Tulsa. OU will follow that with five straight home games, including a 6 p.m. meeting against Evansville at the OU Softball Complex on Thursday night. The Sooners will follow that up with the OU Worth Invitational on Friday and Saturday at the OU Softball Complex.

Game One: OU 21, Temple 0 (5 Innings)
The nation's top-scoring team set a school record in its first game of the doubleheader as No. 6 Oklahoma scored 21 runs and beat Temple, 21-0, in a five-inning run-rule contest on Sunday at the OU Residence Inn Invitational. The previous record for most runs scored in a game was 19 which was done twice (OU vs. OCU on April 1, 1981 and OU vs. Utah Valley State on March 11, 2006). It also marked the 11th run rule of the season for the Sooners.

Morgan Hudsonpillar earned the win and improved to 4-0 on the year as she gave up only two hits and zero runs in three complete innings. OU junior Jadyn Smith entered the circle for the final two innings and gave up only two hits and no runs in nine batters face.

Norrelle Dickson led off the bottom of the first with a slap infield single and Jamie Fox walked as Amber Flores came to the plate. The rookie hammered a two RBI double off the right center field wall as OU took the early, 2-0 lead. The offense took off from there as Mariee Mena loaded the bases with her single and Savannah Long earned the RBI with a walk. The Sooners added three more runs after a Temple error and a Dickson two RBI double. Fox followed that with a two RBI single to center field and Oklahoma owned a strong 8-0 lead after the first.

Mena added another run in the second as she singled to center field to score Ricketts, who led off the inning with a single.

Oklahoma pounded it again in the bottom of the third as the Sooners led off with two straight walks by Jessica Legendre and Norrelle Dickson. Iver McDonald followed with a pinch-hit single to left field to load the bases. Spaulding answered with a two RBI double to left field and after a Sam Ricketts RBI single, catcher Susan Ogden pounded her second home run of the year, a towering three-run shot over left field as OU took the 15-0 advantage. Legendre roped an RBI single to left field to push the lead to 16-0.

As the Sooners batted around, Spaulding recorded another two RBI to left center and Ricketts, OU's home run leader, followed with a three RBI homer to right field as OU led 21-0 after three frames. It marked Ricketts' seventh home run of the season as OU finished the third with 12 runs on seven hits.

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