Dickenson's Homers Lead to 8-0 Win

NORMAN, Okla. 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. The Sooners (40-4, 6-2) and Cyclones (20-29, 0-5) began game two of the doubleheader at approximately 4:45 p.m. 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.

OU 8, Iowa State 0 (5 Innings)

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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