No-Hitter Ends 23-Game Win Streak

TULSA The No. 5 Oklahoma softball team ended its 23-game winning streak to Tulsa (12-10) Wednesday night as the Sooners suffered a 2-0 loss to the Golden Hurricane and TU pitcher Jackie Lawrence pitched her first collegiate no-hitter.

The loss ended OU's string of wins that was the best start to a season in school history and also concluded the second-longest win streak in school history, shared with the 2001 squad. The longest is a 29-game win streak held by the 2005 squad.

“Their pitcher did an outstanding job of keeping us off balance tonight,” head coach Patty Gasso said. “Eventually our win streak was going to come to and end and this might be the best medicine for us right now as we try to round out the non-conference season in the next week and head into Big 12 play. The most disappointing thing about tonight was it was a no-hitter, but the only thing we can do is get better from here because we still have a lot of games ahead of us.”

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The no-hitter marked the first time the Sooners have been held hitless since Texas' Cat Osterman did it on April 15, 2006. Ironically, the no-hitter came just a few days after Oklahoma pitched three no-hitters last week. The Sooner offense was leading the nation in runs scored coming into the game and led the Big 12 in team batting average.

OU starter D. J. Mathis went the full six innings and only gave up four hits, but two of the hits were home runs by Ashlee Lubniewski that gave Tulsa the win. The sophomore lefty struck out four and fell to 6-1 on the year.

The Golden Hurricane recorded a hit in each of the first two frames, but left the runners stranded. However, nine-hole hitter Lubniewski led off the bottom of third with a solo home run over the right center field fence that gave Tulsa the 1-0 lead.

For the only time all game, Oklahoma had base runners in the top of the fifth as Susan Ogden was hit by a pitch with two outs. Next, the Sooners loaded the bases as Lindsey Vandever walked and Savannah Long was also hit by a pitch. Traci Dickenson stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs, but Tulsa's Lawrence kept the no-hitter alive as the nine-hole hitter grounded out to second to end the inning.

It was TU's Lubniewski again in the fifth as she pounded her fifth home run of the season over straight center field to extend Tulsa's lead to 2-0.

Oklahoma will look to get back in the win column as it returns home to play five games Thursday through Saturday. The Sooners will host Evansville at 6 p.m. on Thursday night as a prelude to their OU/Worth Tournament set for Friday and Saturday at the OU Softball Complex. In tournament action this weekend, OU will match up again with Evansville at 2:30 p.m. on Friday and follow that with a 4:45 p.m. meeting against Centenary. The Sooners will round out the tournament on Saturday with a 2:30 match up against Centenary and 4:45 meeting vs. UMKC.

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