OU Sweeps with Extra-Innings Win

NORMAN, Okla. It took 10 innings, but the No. 2 Oklahoma softball team was able to sweep Iowa State with a 3-2 victory Friday night in close to freezing temperatures at the OU Softball Complex. Traci Dickenson's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th scored Lindsey Vandever to end the game.

The Sooners improved to 41-4 on the season and extended their Big 12 record to 7-2 after beating Iowa State (20-30, 0-6) in game one of the doubleheader, 8-0, in five innings. OU has already recorded more wins than it did all of last season when it finished with a 40-21-1 record. Also, Oklahoma recorded its 14th straight 40-win season and 13th under head coach Patty Gasso.

Dickenson finished with five RBI in two games as well as two home runs. Samantha Ricketts, a finalist for Player of the Year, went 6-for-6 with two RBI in the combined two games, including her 15th home run of the year in the first game of the twin bill.

OU 8, Iowa State 0 (5) | OU 3, ISU 2 (10)

Lauren Eckermann earned the win and pushed her Big-12 best record to 25-1 after coming in for relief of starter D. J. Mathis. Eckermann entered with one out in the sixth and the game tied, 2-2. The junior was key for the Sooners in the circle as she only gave up one hit and struck out nine in 4.2 innings of work.

The Oklahoma offense that took off in the first game was halted in the second game of the doubleheader as the Sooners recorded 10 hits to ISU's five, but stranded 14 runners on base.

“We lost focus in the second and didn't compete the way a championship team should,” Gasso said. “This is a good lesson for this group and shows that you can't take any team lightly in Big 12 play. The bottom line is we found a way to win and that's the best thing we can take away from the second game.”

The Sooners were the first to get on the board as Susan Ogden led off with a single in the bottom of the second and was replaced by pinch runner Iver McDonald, who stole second on the following play. Jamie Fox walked as the Sooners had runners at first and second with no outs. Two outs later, Dickenson loaded the bases as she reached on an error by the first baseman. Returning to the top of the lineup, Norrelle Dickson knocked a bases-loaded two RBI single to left field as the Sooners took the initial 2-0 lead after two frames.

Mathis held the Cyclones hitless through 4.1 innings, but ISU rallied with one out in the sixth. ISU had its first base runner as Ashley Killeen walked with one out. Following a groundout that moved Killeen to third, Jessica Quade got ISU on the board with an RBI single as she also advanced to second on the throw home. Ariel Coburn followed that with another RBI single to tie up the game before Mathis was able to retire the final batter to end the inning.

The Cyclones continued their rally in the top of the sixth with back-to-back singles against Mathis. Following the two consecutive singles, Mathis was replaced by Eckermann. Mathis scattered four hits on two earned runs while striking out six and only walking one. Eckermann got the Sooners out of the inning as she retired the final two batters without giving up a run.

Once Eckermann entered the game, she didn't allow a Cyclone to reach base until the top of the eighth. However, after the runner left early and Eckermann retired the batter, the Sooners were out of the frame.

Meanwhile the Sooner offense was able to record six base hits between innings five through nine, but OU couldn't take advantage and get a run across the plate.

Tied up heading into the 10th, both teams went to the international tiebreaker rule, which places a runner on second for each team at the start of the frame. ISU had the first shot in the top of the first as a sacrifice bunt moved the runner to third. However, Eckermann remained calm and struck out the next two batters to end the inning.

The Sooners took advantage of their chance in the bottom of the 10th as Vandever was placed on second to start off. Savannah Long's ground out to the right side moved Vandever to third. Next, Dickenson scored the winning run with her RBI sacrifice fly to right field that brought Vandever across the plate and gave OU the 3-2 win.

Oklahoma will hit the road next week as it takes on North Texas at 6 p.m. next Wednesday in Denton, Texas. The Sooners will return to Big 12 play next weekend as they visit Columbia, Mo., for a series against the Missouri Tigers. OU will face the Tigers at 6 p.m. on Saturday and round out the series at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Game One Recap: OU 8, Iowa State 0 (10 innings)
Led by Traci Dickenson's two home runs and four RBI, No. 2 Oklahoma softball shut out Iowa State in its first game of the doubleheader, 8-0, in five innings. Oklahoma recorded its 40th win of the season as it marked Patty Gasso's 13th straight year with a 40-win season.

The Big 12 leader in wins, Lauren Eckermann, improved to 24-1 on the year after recording her 10th shutout of the season while striking out five Cyclones and scattering three hits.

Despite the cold weather, the Sooner bats were hot in the first inning as leadoff batter Norrelle Dickson extended her hit streak to 12 games with a single to left field. Dickson stole second on the following play and advanced to third on a throwing error by the ISU catcher. One out later, Amber Flores' RBI single brought Dickson across the plate to give OU the 1-0 lead. Clean-up hitter Samantha Ricketts followed that with her 15th home run of the year, a two run shot over left center field to extend the Sooner lead to 3-0 after the first inning.

Ricketts is leading the Big 12 in home runs (15) and RBI (63). The sophomore is closing in on the OU single season records at OU in both categories, which is 20 home runs and 77 RBI.

Iowa State threatened in the second as Killeen reached first to lead off the second after being hit by a pitch. Next, Amanda Bradberry walked as the Cyclones had runners at first and second. Following a sacrifice bunt, ISU had two runners in scoring position with one out. However, rookie catcher Lindsey Vandever picked off Bradberry at second and Eckermann retired the final batter as OU escaped without giving up a run in the second.

Traci Dickenson sparked the offense in the second with her 10th home run of the season, a solo shot with one out, to give OU the 4-0 advantage.

It was Dickenson again in the bottom of the third as the sophomore recorded a two RBI single with the bases loaded and two outs to stretch OU's lead to 6-0. Savannah Long was picked off at second on the same play to end the inning.

Dickson led off the fourth with another single to left field and one out later she stole the 100th base of her career. The stolen base put her among some of the NCAA elite as she became the first player in OU and Big 12 history to register 300 hits, 200 runs scored and 100 stolen bases in her career. She is only the 11th player in NCAA history to accomplish the feat.

One out later, Flores drove in Dickson with an RBI single as OU led 7-0 after the fourth.

Dickenson recorded a perfect end to the game as her second home run of the game, a solo homer in the bottom of the fifth, ended the game by virtue of the eight runs after five inning run rule. The nine-hole hitter owns 11 home runs on the season and now shares the school record with 28 other Sooners who have recorded two home runs in one game.

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