Softball Falls in Season Opener

Feb. 8, 2008

Box Score (PDF)

LOS ANGELES - The No. 5 Oklahoma softball team (0-1) fell in its season opener to No. 10 UCLA (2-0) as the Sooners lost 6-1 on Friday afternoon at Easton Stadium in Los Angeles.

The Sooners will aim to get in the win column Friday night as they return to action in the UCLA/CSFU Freeway series when they take on UC Santa Barbara at 7:30 p.m. (CST) inside Easton Stadium in Los Angeles.

The Bruins jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first and Oklahoma had to fight from behind the rest of the game. The Sooner offense struggled as it only tallied four hits while UCLA notched 14 hits. Senior Savannah Long recorded the squad's only RBI of the day with her double off the centerfield wall. Amber Flores, Iver McDonald and freshman Wendy Trott each recorded a single.

OU senior pitcher Lauren Eckermann took the loss after giving up 13 hits and five earned runs in five innings. UCLA's Donna Kerr earned the complete game win after striking out nine and only allowing one earned run and four hits.

The Bruins took the momentum in the bottom of the first as they led off the frame with back-to-back bunt singles. UCLA followed that with back-to-back stolen bases as the Bruins had runners at second and third with no outs. Three-hole hitter Krista Colburn's sacrifice fly to center scored UCLA's first run of the game and Megan Langenfeld followed that with an RBI double to center field as the Bruins took a 2-0 lead. However, Eckermann retired the next batter and Long got the third out after diving and throwing from her knees to get the out at first.

The Sooners got their first base runner in the top of the second as Traci Dickenson was hit by a pitch with two outs. Long followed with her RBI double off the centerfield wall to score Dickenson and close the gap, 2-1. OU had runners at the corners after a passed ball advanced Long to third and freshman Dani Dobbs walked. However, Oklahoma couldn't add to the run total as freshman Chana'e Jones struck out to end the rally.

UCLA recorded two quick outs in the bottom of the second, but nine-hole hitter Julie Burney blooped a single to right field and the Bruins followed that with a walk. UCLA continued to use the short game as Ashley Herrera laid down another bunt single, but a throwing error by Dobbs scored UCLA's third run of the game. Eckermann retired the next batter, but the Bruins owned the 3-1 lead after two full frames.

McDonald notched a slap single in the top of the third, but was caught stealing after sliding off second base to end the top of the third as the Sooners still trailed 3-1.

UCLA added to its lead in the bottom of the third as Samantha Camuso pounded a two-out two-run homer over the center field wall as the Bruins extended their lead 5-1.

Oklahoma had opportunities in the fourth as Susan Ogden and Long both reached base after being hit by a pitch. The Sooners had runners at first and second with two outs and freshman Wendy Trott connected on a pinch-hit single to right field, but Ogden was thrown out at home to end the top of the fourth.

Following a double play by the Sooners in the bottom of the fifth, the Bruins added to the lead with a two-out infield RBI single as UCLA led 6-1.

Back-to-back walks in the top of the sixth gave the Sooners base runners with no outs, but Oklahoma couldn't capitalize as UCLA's Kerr retired the next three batters and Oklahoma still trailed 6-1 after the top of the sixth.

Junior Morgan Hudsonpillar came in for relief of Eckermann in the bottom of the sixth. Hudsonpillar was effective as she only gave up one hit and retired the remaining three batters as Oklahoma had one last chance in the top of the seventh.

The Sooners couldn't rally in the top of the seventh as OU went three up, three down to end the game.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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