Oklahoma Bats Come Alive in Two Vegas Wins

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Kent State	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
Oklahoma	1	0	2	0	0	3	-	6	12	0

Box Score

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Ricketts	7.0	2	0	0	1	12
L - McNeil	6.0	12	6	6	3	1
S - None	0.0	-	-	-	-	-

Leaders	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
OU- Chamberlain	2	3	1	3	1	1
KSU - Kilbane	2	0	1	0	0	0

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LAS VEGAS -- After back-to-back shutouts on the opening day of the season on Friday, the Oklahoma Softball team wanted its bats to match the effort of its pitching. Saturday's performance did just that with OU outscoring its opponents 18-2 in two games.

Oklahoma opened the second day of action at the Sportco Kick-Off Classic in Las Vegas with its first run-rule of the season, a 12-2 win over Weber State in just five innings of action, before defeating Kent State 6-0.

"We had a better day today mainly due to the fact that we felt more relaxed," said OU Head Coach Patty Gasso. "Our pitching staff was great again and I was impressed with our defense. Offensively, I really liked what I saw out of our seven, eight and nine hitters, especially in the second game. The team is starting to piece some things together."

Michelle Gascoigne got the win for the Sooners over Weber State, her second of the season, in four innings of action. Gascoigne gave up two runs on just two hits while striking out six before giving way to Kirsten Allen who struck out one in one inning of action.

Like they did in the first game of Friday, Oklahoma got off to a quick start by scoring in the first inning as Lauren Chamberlain singled to lead off for OU before advancing to second on a passed ball. After a Brianna Turang walk, Jessica Shults picked up her fifth hit of the season with a single to right field that sent Chamberlain around to home plate to put OU up 1-0.

After a two-run home run by Weber State's Lyndsey Minnich put OU down for the first time in 2012, Oklahoma erupted for six runs in the top of the third inning to grab a 7-2 lead after three. The speedy Turang led off by dropping a bunt over the head of the Weber State third baseman for a double before Shults followed with her second hit of the game to put runners on the corners for Oklahoma. A throwing error by the Weber State catcher sent Turang home to tie the game up for Oklahoma as Keilani Ricketts followed up with a walk.

With Shults and Ricketts on the base path, sophomore Brittany Williams became the third Sooner of the season with a home run as she sent a blast over the center field fence of Jim Rogers Field. Destinee Martinez followed with a bunt single before Javen Henson doubled to to left center to send Martinez home for OU's sixth run of the day.

Following a Weber State pitching change, OU got its second scoring double in a row as Erica Sampson knocked in Henson, who had stolen third, with a drive to left center.

The scoring run continued for the Sooners in the fourth as Weber State's second pitcher, Kelsie Vallies, walked Shults, Ricketts and Williams in order to load the bases. Pinch hitter Katie Norris hit into a fielder's choice that sent Shults home while a throwing error by WSU's second baseman sent pinch runner Allee Allen to the plate. After Henson and Sampson were hit by pitches in back-to-back at bats to load the bases, it was deja vu for OU as pinch hitter Callie Parsons hit into a fielder's choice that sent Norris home before Henson advanced to home due to a throwing error by the Weber State second baseman.

Oklahoma added its 12th and final run in the top of the fifth as Turang reached first and advanced to second on a throwing error by the WSU pitcher. An illegal pitch sent Turang to third before an Allee Allen sent her home for her second run of the game.

OU turned right around for its second game of the day facing a fresh Kent State team and Chamberlain again scored Oklahoma's first run of the game. After walking to start the game, Chamberlain moved to second on a Turang single before both runners advanced a base with a Jessica Shults sacrifice grounder. Keilani Ricketts followed with a sacrifice grounder to second that sent Chamberlain home for OU's first run.

Chamberlain again started things off in the third inning by stealing second after being hit by a pitch to get on base. Turang walked prior to Shults hitting an RBI single up the middle to plate Chamberlain. A Ricketts single to center brought Turang around from second to score before Shults was thrown out at third and Ricketts advanced to second.

The score held at 3-0 until the bottom of the third when Chamberlain was involved with the scoring effort once again, this time providing the bat that affected the Oklahoma runs total. After back-to-back singles from Henson and Allee Allen to start the inning, Ali Vandever advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt down the left side of the infield. The power-hitting Chamberlain was up next and took a 1-0 pitch from Kent State's Lauren McNeil over the fence and to the stadium parking lot on the campus of UNLV.

One day after setting the Oklahoma program record for career strikeouts, Ricketts turned in yet another double-digit strikeout performance by sitting down 12 Golden Flash players. Ricketts allowed no runs for the second straight game and gave up just two hits and one walk. In her first two games of the season, Ricketts has struck out 28 of the 48 batters that she has faced.

The Sooners close out the Sportco Kick-Off Classic on Sunday versus Kent State at 9 a.m. PST