OU Advances to Title Game vs. Tech

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. The No. 2 Oklahoma softball team (51-6) advanced to the Big 12 Championship title game for the second straight year after beating No. 18 Missouri, a third seed, 7-1 Saturday afternoon in the semifinals. The Sooners, a No. 2 seed, will now play eighth-seeded Texas Tech at 3 p.m. in the title game of the Big 12 Championship.

The title game will be shown live on Fox Sports Southwest (Cox 37 in OKC) and broadcast live by Brian Brinkley on KOKC 1520 AM. Oklahoma is making its sixth appearance in the Big 12 Championship title game.

OU starter Lauren Eckermann recorded another stellar game in less than 24 hours. The Co-Big 12 Pitcher of the Year only allowed two hits in the complete game while giving up only one earned run in the contest. Eckermann struck out four Tigers and only walked one while improving her record to 33-3 on the season.

Tournament Central

The Oklahoma offense recorded 10 hits and scored four of its runs in the bottom of the second. Savannah Long, Lindsey Vandever, Norrelle Dickson and Susan Ogden all added two hits a piece. For the second straight game, Vandever led the offense with two RBI, including a home run. The rookie catcher has caught fire since the start of the tournament as she has gone 3-for-5 with four RBI in the last two games.

The defense came up huge for Eckermann in the top of the second as MU's Jen Bruck led off the frame with a shot to left field, but freshman left fielder Amber Flores made a home-run saving catch over the left field fence for the first out of the inning. Two batters later with a runner at second, third baseman Dickson ended the frame as she jumped in the air for a line drive for the third out of the frame.

The Sooners carried their momentum into the bottom of the second on the offensive side. Ogden sparked the offense with her leadoff double down the left field line. The junior designated player advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored OU's first run of the game on Vandever's RBI single. Long followed that with a bunt single as OU had runners at first and second.

Next, Oklahoma loaded the bases as Long was safe at second on a throwing error by Bruck. The Sooners added two more runs on the following play as Dickson reached on an error by the MU shortstop and OU scored two runs off it. Oklahoma added another run on a passed ball by the catcher as OU led 4-0 after the second as three of the runs were unearned.

The Oklahoma offense came alive in the fifth as Ogden recorded her second hit of the day, a single to left center. Jamie Fox followed that with two-run homer over the center field wall, her ninth of the season. The Sooners recorded back-to-back homers as Vandever went deep to left field to push the Sooner advantage to 7-0.

Oklahoma will be seeking their first Big 12 Championship title and first since 2001.