Arizona Takes Lead in Super Regional

May 23, 2008

Arizona 3, Oklahoma 1

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Oklahoma	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	1
Arizona	1	0	0	0	1	1	x	3	6	2

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Mowatt (28-12)	7	2	1	1	1	13
L - Mathis (30-6)	5	6	3	3	7	2

Batting Leaders	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	TB
OU - Flores	3	1	1	1	0	4
UA - Leles	4	1	2	2	0	5

Sooner Softball Central

2008 OU Softball Media Guide

TUCSON, Ariz. - Arizona hit leadoff solo home runs in the fifth and the sixth innings to top Oklahoma, 3-1, in the first game of the Super Regional Friday night in front of 2,247 fans at Hillenbrand Stadium.

The Sooners and Wildcats will resume the best-of-three series on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. (CT). Oklahoma (46-13) must win two back-to-back games on Saturday to advance to the Women's College World Series, while Arizona (40-16) only needs one more win.

"I thought our defense was excellent tonight and kept us in the game, but we are going to have to make some adjustments, offensively, if we want to have success in this series," head coach Patty Gasso said. "We knew Taryn Mowatt was going to be tough in the circle and she had a really good game, but we are going to have to get better offensively."

In a battle of two of the country's top pitchers, U of A's Taryn Mowatt came out on top as she held OU to only two hits while striking out 13. Mowatt improved to 28-12 with the win.

OU's D.J. Mathis gave up two solo home runs to the Wildcats and an uncharacteristic seven walks. Mathis took only her sixth loss of the year as she fell to 30-6 on the season after scattering six hits and three earned runs in five complete innings. Senior pitcher Lauren Eckermann came in for relief of Mathis in the sixth and only faced two batters as the Sooners turned a double play and Eckermann retired the next batter.

Amber Flores highlighted the OU offense with her leadoff solo home run in the first to start the game, but it was all the offense OU would have the rest of the game. Freshman Haley Anderson added the team's only other hit, with her infield single in the third.

The Sooners were the first to get on the board as Flores led off the frame with a solo home run down the left field line. The solo shot on the 2-2 count marked Flores' 14th homer of the season as OU took the early 1-0 lead. However, the next three Sooners were retired as OU headed into the bottom of the first with a 1-0 advantage.

Arizona came out just like Oklahoma in the bottom of the first as Brittany Lastrapes led off with a double down the left field line . Next, K'Lee Arrendondo's groundout to first baseman Samantha Ricketts moved Lastrapes over to third with one out. Jenae Leles followed that with an RBI single off the left center field wall as Arizona evened it up at 1-1. After a fielder's choice by Stacie Chambers, Mathis walked Laine Roth as U of A had runners at first and second with two outs. However, the next batter popped up to second base as both teams headed to the second with a 1-1 score.

Anderson tried to rally the Sooners in the third as she led off with an infield single and advanced to second after Arizona failed a pickoff attempt at first. Next, Flores struck out swinging but the catcher dropped the ball as Flores tried to reach first on a third strike. As Flores was running to first, the throw down the line hit her helmet and
Flores was called out for being inside the base line. Krystle Huey followed that with a pop up to second and Ogden struck out to end the frame.

Oklahoma threatened again in the fourth as Vandever walked with one out and Long followed that with a strike out, but U of A catcher Callista Balko dropped the ball and threw it back to the pitcher while Long advanced to third on the dropped strike. With runners at first and second and one out the Sooners couldn't capitalize as the next two batters were retired to end the frame.

Leles gave Arizona the lead in the fifth as she led off with a solo home run to center field, marking her 15th homer of the year as the Wildcats took the 2-1 lead. Arizona continued to rally after the home run as the next batter walked and Roth singled to left field . A sacrifice bunt later, Arizona had runners in scoring position and Oklahoma intentionally walked Balko to load the bases for pinch hitter Akamine. However, Mathis struck out Akamine and the next batter grounded out to Mathis, but Arizona owned the 2-1 leading heading into the sixth.

Lastrapes gave the Wildcats an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth as she led off with a solo home run over the left field fence to extend the Wildcat lead to 3-1. Following the home run, Mathis gave up another walk and was replaced by Lauren Eckermann in the circle, who faced Leles as her first batter. OU second baseman Flores turned the double play and the next batter grounded out to the third baseman as OU trailed 3-1 with one last chance in the top of the seventh.

Mowatt didn't give the Sooners a chance in the final three innings as she retired the final 11 batters she faced.

The two squads will resume the series on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. (CT). A Sooner victory would force a game three in the series which would be played 30 minutes following the first contest on Saturday.

Both games will be televised live on ESPN and can be heard via radio on KOKC 1520 AM.