Winning Streak Snapped with Loss to Louisville

March 23, 2013

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Louisville	0	0	0	5	0	0	0	5	8	0
Oklahoma	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	3	0

Box Score | Archived Replay

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Connell	7.0	3	1	1	4	4
L - Ricketts	7.0	8	5	5	0	11
S - None	-	-	-	-	-	-

Leaders	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
OU - Ricketts	2	1	1	1	1	1
LOU - Fowler	3	1	1	2	0	0

Up Next

Who: Louisville
When: Saturday, 4:30 p.m. CT
Live Stats: Click Here
Where: Norman, Okla.
Preview: The No. 1/1 Sooners look to split a doubleheader against 11th-ranked Louisville on Saturday afternoon.

Full Schedule | Notes | @SoonerSoftball

NORMAN, Okla. --No. 1 Oklahoma saw its 10-game winning streak come to an end with a 5-1 loss to No. 11 Louisville in game one of a doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Marita Hynes Field.

A five-run fourth inning proved to be the difference as the Cardinals (26-4) handed the Sooners (27-2) just their second loss of the season and their first since a 1-0 setback to then-No. 25 Nebraska on March 2.

The loss drops OU's record against top-25 teams this year to 9-2.

With one out and runners on first and second in the fourth, Whitney Arion singled to right field to score the game's first run. Taner Fowler then doubled to right center to clear the bases and make it 3-0. An RBI single by Kayla Soles brought home Fowler, and Katie Keller added another RBI single but was thrown out trying to stretch her hit into a double.

The inning brought Oklahoma's school-record tying shutout streak to an end at seven games. The team's scoreless inning streak also finished at 43.1 innings.

Oklahoma got its lone run of the game in the bottom of the seventh as senior Keilani Ricketts hit a solo home run into the bleachers in right center field. It was her seventh homer of the year and the 42nd of her career.

The Sooners also had a scoring chance in the second as it put a pair of runners on base.

Senior Jessica Shults and Ricketts each drew a walk to start the inning, but freshman Erin Miller, running for Shults, was picked off second base. Junior Brittany Williams struck out for the second out and Louisville left fielder Jennifer Esteban made a great diving catch in foul territory to retire Martinez and end the inning.

Ricketts took the loss for the Sooners, dropping her record to 14-1 on the season. She struck out 11 batters while allowing five earned runs on eight hits.

The win was recorded by Louisville's Caralisa Connell, who struck out four, walked four and gave up one run on three hits. Connell's record is now 16-2 this season.