Softball Tops Arkansas, 3-2, in Extras

April 7, 2008

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - It took extra innings, but the No. 11 Oklahoma softball team topped Arkansas, 3-2, in eight innings on Monday night in the second game of the twin bill in Fayetteville, Ark.

Freshman Haley Anderson recorded the game-winning RBI groundout in the top of the eighth to give OU the 3-2 lead and the rookie also made the throw home in the bottom of the eighth to throw the tying run out at the plate for the final out.

The Sooners are now 33-9 overall after splitting with Arkansas. The Lady' Backs, who topped the Sooners, 3-2, in the first game of the twin bill, fell to 29-18. Junior pitcher D.J. Mathis earned the win in relief as she threw the final four frames and gave up two hits and no runs while walking two and striking out six. Mathis improved to 21-4 on the season.

The Oklahoma offense only tallied three hits while Arkansas out hit the Sooners with six. However, the Lady' Backs stranded 11 runners on base.

Arkansas pitcher Miranda Dixon threw the complete eight-inning contest and only gave up three hits and no earned runs but fell to 10-8 on the year. In addition to Anderson recording the game-winning RBI, Samantha Ricketts and Traci Dickenson added the game's only other RBIs. Dickenson recorded two of the team's hits while senior Savannah Long recorded the other.

The Sooners led 3-2 in the bottom of the eighth as Arkansas had two outs and a runner on second. Pinch hitter Leslie Dickson singled to right field, but OU right fielder Anderson threw the runner out at home to end the game.

The Lady' Backs threatened in the bottom of the first for the second straight game, but the OU defense stepped up. UA's Jessica Bachkora led off and reached second on a two-base throwing error by OU shortstop Jessica Legendre. Bachkora moved to third on a ground out at first and the next batter was hit by a pitch as Arkansas had runners at the corners with one out. Next, Savannah Long made a diving catch for a line drive for the second out of the frame and the final batter popped up to second base to end the frame as Eckermann escaped without giving up a run.

Arkansas took the momentum in the bottom of the third as Kayla Johnson led off the frame with a double and was sacrifice bunted over to third. Following the sacrifice, Eckermann was replaced in the circle with Jadyn Smith. The starter threw 2.1 innings and gave up one earned run on one hit while walking one and striking out one.

Smith threw a wild pitch on a 2-2 count to the first batter she faced as Johnson scored for UA's first run of the game. Sandra Smith followed that with a walk. Following a fly out to center for the second out of the frame, Dayna Huckabee singled to right to place Arkansas runners at the corners. However, Smith settled and retired the next batter as Arkansas led 1-0 after three full frames.

The Sooners took the momentum in the fourth as Amber Flores led off and reached on a fielding error by the Arkansas third baseman. Savannah Long followed that with a bunt single and both runners were moved into scoring position on Susan Ogden's sacrifice bunt. Next, Ricketts recorded the RBI sacrifice fly to center to score Flores and even the game up at 1-1. Traci Dickenson continued the rally as she recorded a RBI single that scored Ricketts, but Dickenson was thrown out trying to advance to second which ended the inning as OU led 2-1.

Arkansas evened it up in the top of the fourth as Bachkora pounded a two-out solo homer to right field. It marked the first of the sophomore's career as the game evened up at 2-2. The next batter followed that with an infield single to continue the rally. However, Smith retired the next batter to end the fourth.

Junior D.J. Mathis entered the game for the Sooners in the bottom of the fifth as she replaced Smith, who pitched 1.2 innings for the Sooners and gave up one earned run on three hits and one walk. Mathis was solid as she retired three of the four batters she faced and kept the score even heading into the top of the sixth.

Both teams were held scoreless as they headed to the seventh inning.

With two outs in the top of the seventh, junior Traci Dickenson recorded OU's third hit of the day, a single to left field. Next, it looked as if Jessica Legendre's ball was going to land in between shortstop and left field, but Arkansas shortstop Dayna Huckabee made a diving catch to end the top of the seventh.

The Lady' Backs had the last at bat in the bottom of the seventh as three-hole hitter Whitney Cloer led off the bottom of the frame. Cloer popped out to Long at shortstop for the first out of the frame. Arkansas' leading home run hitter Sandra Smith stepped to the plate next and walked on a 3-2 count. Next, UA's Miranda Dixon struck out looking for the second out. The next batter grounded out to shortstop to send the game into extra innings.

The international tie breaker took effect in the eighth as pinch runner Iver McDonald was placed at second to start the top of the eighth. Wendy Trott led off the frame and struck out looking, but a dropped third strike by the catcher allowed Trott to advance to first as OU had runners at first and second with no outs. Next, Lindsey Vandever's sacrifice bunt advanced both runners into scoring position as Anderson stepped to the plate. The rookie grounded out to second, but earned the RBI as McDonald scored to give OU the 3-2 lead. Flores ended the inning with a foul out to left field as OU headed into the bottom of the eighth with the 3-2 lead.

Huckabee was placed on second to start the bottom of the eighth for the Lady' Backs. Mathis struck out Samantha Buckner for the first out of the frame. The next batter grounded out to shortstop for the second out as Huckabee remained at second. Leslie Dixon stepped into pinch hit for UA's Jocelyne Moncrief and singled to right, but Huckabee was thrown out at home by Anderson to end the game as OU took the victory.

The Sooners return to Big 12 action this Thursday night when they host Texas Tech in a doubleheader at the OU Softball Complex. The first game of the twin bill is set to begin at 5 p.m.

Softball Tops Arkansas, 3-2, in Extras

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Softball Tops Arkansas, 3-2, in Extras

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