Softball Suffers First Home Loss

March 19, 2008

Missouri State 3, Oklahoma 2

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Missouri St.	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	3	6	2
Oklahoma	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	2	4	0

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Porche (6-3)	7	4	2	1	1	1
L - Eckermann (7-3)	4.1	4	3	3	1	4

Batting Leaders	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	TB
OU - Flores	3	0	2	0	0	3
OU - Ogden	2	0	1	1	0	1

Sooner Softball Central

2008 OU Softball Media Guide

NORMAN, Okla. -- The No. 11 Oklahoma softball team suffered its first home loss of the season as the Sooners fell to Missouri State, 3-2, Wednesday evening at the OU Softball Complex. The Sooners dropped to 25-8 while the Bears pushed their overall mark to 12-4.

OU starter Lauren Eckermann fell to 7-3 on the season after giving up three runs on four hits in 4.1 innings of work.

Missouri State's Melissa Porche improved to 6-3 in the circle as the she earned the complete-game victory after allowing only one earned run on four hits.

Missouri State put together a huge fifth inning that led to the win. Trailing 1-0 heading into the top of the fifth, the Bears strung together three runs on four hits to take the lead they would never lose.

Offensively, the Sooners struggled as they only put together four hits, but also had opportunities as they left a total of five runners on base. Amber Flores led the offense with a 2-for-3 outing while Susan Ogden and Jessica Legendre recorded OU's only other hits. Ogden and Iver McDonald each recorded an RBI.

Oklahoma got on the board in the bottom of the second as Traci Dickenson led off with a walk. Next, Lindsey Vandever reached first after a throwing error by the Missouri State first baseman as Vandever advanced all the way to second on the play and Dickenson moved over to third. Next, Ogden recorded the sacrifice fly to centerfield to score Dickenson as OU took the 1-0 lead. The Sooners couldn't plate any more runs as the next two batters were retired to end the inning.

The Bears answered back in the fifth as they strung together three runs to take the lead. Michelle Armentrout led off with a walk and Jessie Smith followed with a single. Next, the Sooners got their first out of the inning as Elysha Swider tried a bunt to move the runners, but OU got the out at third and the Bears had runners at first and second. Next, Jana Shewmaker ripped an RBI single up the middle to plate MSU's first run. Jenna Schwark followed that with a single to left as Swider rounded third and got caught in a rundown between third and home. However, OU third baseman Jessica Legendre tried to tag Swider running home but couldn't catch her as MSU took the 2-1 lead. Following the run, OU starter Lauren Eckermann was replaced by OU reliever Jadyn Smith.

The senior pitcher entered the game with one out, but gave up an RBI single to pinch hitter Ashley Knehans as Missouri State took the 3-1 lead. Next, Smith recorded the second out of the frame with a strikeout. On the next play, Schwark stole third as nobody covered third when OU catcher Vandever threw down. However, left fielder Amber Flores backed the throw up and was able to pick off Schwark trying to advance home. The pickoff ended the inning, but not before Missouri State had taken the 3-1 lead.

The Sooners began to chip away in the fifth as Ogden led off with a single to center and was replaced by pinch runner Dani Dobbs. The freshman was out at second on the next play on Wendy Trott's fielder's choice. Haley Anderson came in to pinch run for Trott and stole second on the next play. Next, Legendre recorded a single to left as OU had runners at the corners with one out. McDonald followed that with a sacrifice fly to right field to score Anderson and close the gap, 3-2. Next, Long popped up to the third baseman to end the inning.

Missouri State threatened in the sixth as Tyler Porter led off with a bunt single. Next, Porche put down a bunt and OU's Smith tried to get the out at second, but the runner beat out the throw and was safe. The Bears now had runners at first and second with no outs as OU's Smith was replaced by D.J. Mathis in the circle. The junior lefty was solid as she struck out the next three batters as OU escaped without giving up a run.

Flores tried to spark the Sooners in the sixth as she led off with a single to left and was moved over to second on Ricketts' sacrifice bunt. Next, Dickenson was hit by a pitch and Vandever stepped to the plate and ripped a line drive to the third baseman, which froze the runners. The MSU third baseman dropped the ball, but was still able to get the force out at third. However, she tried to throw to first to get the double play, but the overthrow advanced Vandever to second and Dickenson to third. The Sooners couldn't keep the rally alive as Ogden popped up to the MSU shortstop to end the inning.

Mathis was solid in the top of the seventh as she retired the side to give the Sooners a chance heading into the bottom of the seventh.

Trott led off the bottom of the seventh but grounded out to the second baseman for the first out of the frame. Legendre followed that with a ground out to the third baseman. The game ended as McDonald struck out looking for the final out.

The Sooners will look to bounce back as they return to the OU Softball Complex this Friday when they host Kansas in their Big 12 opener. The Sooners and Jayhawks will open the two-game series on Friday at 7 p.m. The series will conclude on Saturday with a 1 p.m. contest.

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