Gasso Wins No. 800, OU Advances

AMHERST, Mass. The No. 1 Oklahoma softball team (54-6) snapped the nation's longest win streak, 27 straight games, with a 2-0 shutout over UMass Saturday afternoon to advance to the Regional final as head coach Patty Gasso recorded the 800th victory of her career. OU's victory also ended UMass's 37-game home win streak that dates back to last season.

The Sooners will now play Sunday at 11 a.m. (CST) against UMass in the regional final and will have to be beaten twice not to advance on to the Super Regional. Sunday's game will be broadcast on KOKC 1520 AM and will also be webcasted live on UMass's web site.

Amherst Regional | OU 2, UMass 0

“We decided that we needed to approach this game with our style of softball and not play up tight like we did yesterday,” Gasso said. “We were trying to make things happen out there and you could feel that from the start. I thought our defense stepped up big time for us behind Lauren (Eckermann), who did a fantastic job on the mound. Also, Traci Dickenson was a huge spark for us today. The one thing I wasn't real pleased with was the runners we stranded in scoring position.”

Junior hurler Lauren Eckermann pitched her 12th shutout of the season against the Minutewomen as she improved her record to 36-3 on the year. The Co-Big 12 Pitcher of the Year only gave up four hits and no walks while striking out six in her 30th complete game of the season.

Dickenson was the offensive highlight for the Sooner squad that combined for seven hits in the contest. The sophomore went 2-for-3 with OU's only RBI of the game. Dickenson is hitting .600 in the regional this weekend.

May 19

Press Conference Quotes

Gasso recaps her 800th career victory

Eckermann talks about momentum from the OU offense

Gasso explains the importance of an additional run in the sixth

Jamie Fox scored both of OU's runs in the game after going 1-for-1 with two walks. Mariee Mena, Amber Flores, Samantha Ricketts and Lindsey Vandever added Oklahoma's only other hits.

The Sooners got on the board first as Fox led off with a walk and stole second a few pitches later. With two outs, Dickenson stepped to the plate and delivered an RBI double off the right field wall to score Fox and give OU the 1-0 lead. It marked the second straight game that Dickenson's bat scored OU's first run of the game.

The Minutewomen threatened in the fourth as Stacy Cullington roped a one-out double to left field and moved over to third on a ground out to second base. However, Eckermann fielded the next batter's grounder and threw her out at first to end the frame.

Oklahoma had missed opportunities in the fourth as Fox led off with a walk and moved to second on a ground out. Following a strikeout, Dickenson's single placed runners at the corners with two outs. However, Norrelle Dickson grounded out to the pitcher to end the inning. Oklahoma stranded seven base runners in the contest.

The Sooners added an insurance run in the sixth as Fox and Vandever recorded back-to-back singles with one out. Following Vandever's single, OU had runners at second and third as Fox advanced all the way to third on Vandever's single and Vandever moved to second on the throw to third.

Oklahoma added its final run of the game as Fox crossed the plate on a passed ball by the UMass catcher and Jade Prather, who was pinch running for Vandever, also tried to score on the same play but was thrown out at home. It looked like the Sooner rally would continue with two outs as pinch hitter Stacia Aleman reached first on an error by the UMass second baseman, but Dickenson was caught looking to end the inning on a strikeout.

UMass didn't let up in the seventh as Lauren Proctor singled with one out to swing momentum. However, Oklahoma followed that with a double play, its second of the game, to end the game.

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