No. 9 OU Edges South Carolina, 2-1

Feb. 16, 2008

LAS VEGAS - The No. 9 Oklahoma softball team added another victory in the UNLV Louisville Slugger Desert Classic as the Sooners edged South Carolina, 2-1, on Saturday morning at Eller Media Stadium in Las Vegas.

The Sooners improved to 7-2 on the year while South Carolina fell to 3-6 on the season. Oklahoma owns a 3-0 record in the tournament. The Sooners will now turn around and play Illinois in a game that is set to start at approximately 1:30 p.m. (CT).

In a game that saw little offense from both squads, OU's Lauren Eckermann earned the win after allowing one run on four hits. Eckermann improved to 3-2 on the year while fellow pitcher D.J. Mathis earned the save after replacing Eckermann in the final 2/3 of the seventh inning.

Offensively, the Sooners only recorded three hits with Susan Ogden going 2-for-2 and Jessica Legendre going 1-for-2 with two RBI. Oklahoma threatened in the bottom of the second as Ogden recorded the game's first hit of the day with a double off the centerfield wall and on the next play advanced to third on a wild pitch as the Sooners had a runner at third and one out. Traci Dickenson walked to place runners at the corners. However, Ogden was thrown out at home on Wendy Trott's fielder's choice and Lindsey Vandever struck out to end the frame.

The Sooners got on the board in the fifth as Trott led off and reached on an error by the first baseman. Iver McDonald replaced Trott as a pinch runner and stole second on the next play. Legendre followed that with an RBI double to left field that scored McDonald as Legendre advanced to second on the play. Following another out, Savannah Long reached on an error by the UNLV second baseman and the Sooners had runners at the corners, but Amber Flores ended the frame as she lined out to right field. However, OU led 1-0 after five innings.

South Carolina threatened in the top of the sixth but the OU defense stepped up. Ashton Payne led off the frame with a single to centerfield but was thrown out on the next play as Lisa Longo tried to bunt her over to second but Legendre got the out at second and Longo reached on a fielder's choice. The next batter was thrown out at first, but the Gamecocks placed runners at first and second after a walk. Freshman centerfielder Krystle Huey came up with a huge play in centerfield on the next play as made a diving catch to end the inning as the Sooners escaped still holding the 1-0 lead.

Oklahoma made a rally of its own in the bottom of the sixth as Ogden roped a one-out double down the left field line and advanced to third on a passed ball by the South Carolina catcher. Dickenson followed that with a walk as the Sooners had runners at the corners with one out.

The Gamecocks made a pitching change following Dickenson's walk as Kate Pouliot replaced USC starter Krystle Robinson with a 3-0 count on Trott. The OU freshman walked to load the bases with one out and Lindsey Vandever up to bat. Vandever popped out to the third baseman, but Legendre followed that with a walk with the bases loaded as she earned the RBI and OU led 2-0.

South Carolina answered back in the top of the seventh as Lindsay Walker delivered a one-out solo home run over the left field fence to cut the lead to 2-1. Following the home run, the Sooners replaced Eckermann with Mathis.

The lefty earned her first save of the year as she retired the next two batters with a strikeout and a groundout.

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