No. 9 OU Downs BYU, 8-5

Feb. 15, 2008

LAS VEGAS - The No. 9 Oklahoma softball team improved to 5-2 on the season as the Sooners topped BYU, 8-5, in Friday in OU's first game of the UNLV Desert Classic. Junior pitcher D.J. Mathis improved to 4-0 on the year while the Cougars suffered their first loss of the season and fell to 6-1.

The Cougars out hit the Sooners, 7-6, but BYU and OU both had many opportunities on the base paths. BYU stranded 10 runners while Oklahoma left nine on base in a game that saw OU walk 10 times.

The Sooners will return to tournament action Friday night with a 7:30 p.m. (CST) meeting against Cal State Northridge.

Traci Dickenson was the offensive leader for the Sooners as she recorded a game-high three RBI after walking three times and recording a double. Samantha Ricketts and Susan Ogden each added two RBI as Ogden pounded her first homer of the year. Dickenson's two RBI double in the third gave the Sooners the lead that they would never lead.

Defensively, Mathis continued her stellar start to the year. The junior lefty surrendered seven hits in the complete-game win and only allowed three earned runs while striking out eight and walking four.

Savannah Long sparked the Sooner offense in the top of the first with her one-out double to left center. Next, Amber Flores reached first after an error by the BYU shortstop as the Sooners had runners at first and second with one out. Following a Ricketts strikeout, Ogden loaded the bases with a walk Traci Dickenson stepped to the plate. The junior earned the RBI as she walked with the bases loaded and OU took the 1-0 lead.

BYU also started hot in the bottom of the first as leadoff batter Gonzales walked and was safe at second on a fielder's choice by Kristin Delahoussaye as the Cougars had runners at first and second with no outs. Following a Mathis strikeout, BYU loaded the bases after a fielding error by OU third baseman Jessica Legendre. However, the Sooner defense came up with a huge double play as Mathis got the force out at home and Vandever threw down to first get the final out of the frame.

Legendre sparked the offense in the top of the second as she ripped an infield single with one out. As Legendre stole second, the shortstop missed the ball and Legendre advanced all the way to third on the play. However, the Sooners couldn't take advantage as the next two batters were retired to end the frame.

BYU evened it up in the bottom of the second as Angie Quiocho led off with a solo home run over the field fence to tie it up 1-1. However, Mathis settled and retired three of the next four batters as the teams went into the third tied, 1-1.

The Sooners answered back in the third as Flores led off with a bunt single and Ricketts reached on a walk. Anderson came into pinch run for Ricketts and following a passed ball, OU had runners at second and third with no outs. An out later, Dickenson delivered a two-RBI double down the left field line to push the lead to 3-1. Dickenson advanced to third on passed ball on the next play. However, Oklahoma couldn't bring another run across the board as Vandever popped up to the second baseman and Wendy Trott flied out in deep right field to end the frame, but the Sooners took the 3-1 lead heading into the bottom of the third.

Oklahoma took advantage in the fourth as Legendre led off with a walk and one out later, Long walked. Following another out, OU had runners at first and second with two outs as Ricketts stepped to the plate and delivered an RBI double that was caught in the wind as OU took the 5-1 lead. Ogden followed that with a two-run homer over the centerfield fence as OU led 7-1.

The Cougars responded in the bottom of the fourth as Vance delivered a two-out double down the left field line that scored Quiocho, who had reached on an error by Amber Flores. BYU cut the gap to 7-2. BYU followed that with an infield single by Gonzales as the Cougars had runners at the corners with two outs. Following a walk, the Cougars had the bases loaded with two outs. Another walk brought another BYU run across the plate as the Cougars cut the lead to 7-3 and still had the bases loaded. However, Mathis stayed calm and struck out the next batter to end the fourth inning.

BYU replaced starting pitcher Zinanti in the fifth with Christina Trice, but the Sooners added another run in the fifth as Wendy Trott led off with a walk and was replaced by pinch runner Dani Dobbs. Following an OU strikeout, Dobbs stole second but a throwing error by the catcher sent the ball to the outfield and brought Dobbs all the way around as OU led 8-3.

The Cougars continued to push in the fifth as Quiocho pounded her second homer of the day, a solo shot with one out over the right field fence to cut the gap, 8-4.

BYU made it interesting in the bottom of the seventh as the Cougars trailed 8-4 but led off the frame with two straight hits to place runners at second and third. Following a Mathis strikeout, the Sooners intentionally walked Quiocho to load the bases. Mathis hit the next batter to score a run and BYU closed the gap, 8-5. However, Mathis retired the next two batters to give the Sooners the win and earn her fourth victory of the year.

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