Shults' Slams Lead to OU Regional Win

May 20, 2012

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Oklahoma	4	0	0	0	2	0	0	6	8	0
Oregon St.	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	3

Box Score (PDF) | Photo Gallery

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W- Ricketts (31-7)	7.0	2	0	0	1	10
L - Demore (10-7)	4.1	6	6	5	5	2
S - N/A	0.0	-	-	-	-	-

Leaders	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
OU- Shults	2	2	2	5	2	2
OSU - Gilmore	3	0	1	0	0	0

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NORMAN, Okla. -- This time last year, Jessica Shults was laying in a hospital bed. On Sunday, Shults was on the softball field and leading No. 4 Oklahoma to a 6-0 win over Oregon State for Oklahoma's ninth NCAA Regional title and its third in as many years. The junior catcher, who missed Oklahoma's postseason run in 2011 with pan ulcerative colitis, smacked two home runs including her sixth career grand slam to put Oregon State in an early 4-0 hole and send OU to its sixth NCAA Super Regional in eight years.

OU, who moved to 48-8 on the year, will host No. 13 Arizona (38-17) in an NCAA Super Regional with dates and times expected to be announced by the NCAA Sunday night. En route to moving to 49-17 in NCAA Regional play, the Sooners swept all three teams in their regional by a combined score of 32-4.

After rain delayed the game by over two hours, Keilani Ricketts got the start in the circle for the Sooners and moved to 31-7 on the year as she struck out 10 Oregon State batters while allowing just two hits and one walk. Sunday's win marked Ricketts' 21st game this season with at least 10 strikeouts as the junior retired the Oregon State side in order in five of the seven innings.

““I feel very proud of this group and their perseverance through this weekend. It's not always easy working through rain delays and things like that,” said OU Head Coach Patty Gasso. “It's a little unnerving but it's just the way it is. But I know this team is starting to really hit their peak, which is exactly where you want to be right now. I know we are extremely anxious to be hosting Arizona here on our field.”

Playing as the visitor on its home field, Oklahoma didn't wait long to put Oregon State in a hole as its first three batters reached base to set up Shults' grand slam, the sixth of her career. Freshman Georgia Casey led off with a walk before an error from Oregon State's Ya Garcia at second base put OU runners on the corners with Casey at third and Destinee Martinez at first. A Ricketts walk loaded the bases for Shults who sent the 1-0 pitch over the right field fence for 17th home run of the season and the 51st of her career.

The fifth inning saw the Sooners put two more runs on the board as Shults stepped to the plate with one out and the bases empty. After going down in the count, 0-2, Shults received two straight balls before belting a solo shot to the same exact spot as her earlier grand slam in the right field stands at the OU Softball Complex and bump her season and career totals up 18 and 52.

Oklahoma was not done in the inning, however, as Erica Sampson walked on five pitches before Brianna Turang turned to lay down a sacrifice bunt and showed her speed by safely racing to first to put two Oklahoma runners on. With two on, senior Katie Norris poked a single through the left side of the Oregon State infield for her 23rd RBI of the season as Sampson eluded the Oregon State catcher at the plate.

With the win, Oklahoma moves on to a best-three-games super regional against Arizona. The dates and times for that super regional will be announced Sunday night by the NCAA. All-session tickets for the 2012 NCAA Softball Norman Super Regional will be on sale online at www.SoonerSports.com and over the phone at (405) 325-2424 beginning Monday at 8:00 a.m.

Prices are $25 for reserved all-session tickets, $20 for general admission adult all-session tickets and $15 for general admission youth (2 – 12 year old)/OU Student/Sr. Citizen (55 years and older) all-session tickets. Each day of the Super Regional is considered one session and a session ticket is good for all games in one day. Children under 2 years of age are admitted free.

If tickets remain, single session tickets will go on sale on the first day of competition at the OU Softball Complex Box Office at least 90 minutes prior to the first scheduled game. Single session tickets are $15 for reserved tickets, $12 for general admission adult tickets and $8 for general admission youth/OU student/senior citizen tickets.

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