Ricketts, Team USA Run Rule Canada

July 15, 2011

NORMAN, Okla. -- The USA Softball Women's National Team rode the arm of OU's Keilani Ricketts along with powerful bats at the plate for a 8-0 five-inning win over host Canada late Thursday night at the Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship in Surrey, B.C. With the run rule, the U.S. ended preliminary play with a 7-1 record entering the weekend's championship round.

Ricketts got the start in the circle for the Americans and went all five innings, striking out six while giving up just one hit, walking one and hitting one batter. No Canadian advanced past first as Ricketts recorded perfect one-two-three innings in both the second and fifth.

After failing to score in the first two innings, the U.S. team provided Ricketts with some offensive backing in bottom of the third, picking up three runs with two outs. The U.S. lit up the scoreboard in the following inning as the Americans tacked on five runs with a Stacey May-Johnson three-run home run and a Brittany Schutte two-run home run.

Ricketts was reunited with her OU battery mate in the fifth as Jessica Shults entered the game behind the plate for the final three outs of the game.

Following the event, Ricketts, Shults and the rest of the US team heads to Oklahoma City for the World Cup of Softball VI. The event runs July 21-25 at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. Tickets for the event can be purchased at SoftballOutlet.com.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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