OU Uses Six-Run Sixth in Come Back Win

May 19, 2012

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Oklahoma	0	0	0	0	0	6	1	7	9	0
Tulsa	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	0

Box Score (PDF) | Photo Gallery

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W- Ricketts (30-7)	7.0	3	1	1	1	10
L-Middlebrooks 20-6	5.1	8	6	5	4	1
S - N/A	-	-	-	-	-	-

Leaders	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
OU- Shults	3	0	2	2	1	0
TU- Swanson	3	1	1	0	0	0

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By Andrew Gilman | SoonerSports.com

NORMAN, Okla. -- There's little doubt the Sooner offense has been prolific this season.

But there was some doubt if that offense would show up Saturday afternoon against Tulsa.

A day after scoring 19 against Lehigh, it took until the sixth inning, but the Sooners did finally announce their presence with some serious authority, blowing up Tulsa for six runs and six hits, rallying from a 1-0 deficit and going on to a 7-1 win in front of 1,000 fans at Marita Hynes Field.

“I would start with a heavy exhale first,” OU coach Patty Gasso said of the win, which didn't come easy. “It was a tight game. This team did not panic. We might have been pressing a little. But we did not panic. Stay with the process. It's going to happen, and it did.”

Finally. And the the victory Saturday means the Sooners are just one win away from playing in the Super Regional. OU will take on the winner of Saturday's late game between Tulsa and the Oregon State-Lehigh winner, at 1 p.m. Sunday. OU is trying for its seventh trip to the College World Series and back-to-back trips, as well.

“We were down, but we were really composed,” said OU pitcher Keilani Ricketts, who kept the Sooners in the game by allowing just three hits, the one run, while striking out 10. “That relaxed us when we were up at the plate.”

If the Sooners were relaxed early, it didn't show. They had plenty of chances before the big sixth inning, running into an out at third base in the first inning and running into a double play in the second. They left two more runners on base in the fourth inning. Meanwhile, Tulsa took its lead with a hit, a walk, a sacrifice and an RBI groundout. By Jessica Stoelke.

OU had just three hits through five innings.

“When Keilani is on the mound, we take that momentum and try and answer for her,” said catcher Jessica Shults. “We don't get stressed out. We let the game happen.”

And it did in the sixth inning when the Sooners' Destiny Martinez led off with a hit. She scored after a walk to Ricketts when Shults hit a two-run double. Erica Sampson followed with a pinch-hit, two-run single and after another hit and a passed ball, Katie Norris had a two-run single.

An extensive offensive production from a team that has had little trouble scoring runs this season. OU has averaged 6.3 runs per game and set the Big 12 Conference all-time home run record with 89. Yet, Saturday, the runs came late and there wasn't a single home run.

“Everyone loves the home run,” Gasso said. “But I enjoyed this. Watching them move runners around the basepaths. It's fun to move your arm in the coaching box. They were very aware they did this without the home run ball.”

Meanwhile, Ricketts was outstanding, moving to 30-7 on the season. She struck out 10 batters – the 20th time she has struck out 10 or more this season – including seven in a row at one point.

A season ago, Tulsa beat OU in the first game of the regional final, before OU rallied in the if-necessary game, 5-0, to earn a spot in the Super Regional. OU improved to 36-10 against Tulsa all-time.

“We started to loosen up before we got on the board,” Gasso said. “But w e need to come out a little quicker.”