Eight-Run Fourth Sends OU Past Iowa

Monday, March 16

Norman

6:00 PM

University of Oklahoma

Iowa

March 16, 2015 | Softball

By: Athletics Communications

Iowa

Oklahoma

Box Score | Highlights | Photos

Inning-by-Inning
Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
IOWA	0	0	0	0	0	x	x	0	3	1
OU	0	0	1	8	x	x	x	9	6	0

Pitching
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - S. Pendley (7-1)	4.0	2	0	0	2	3
L - Starkenburg (6-11)	4.0	6	9	9	5	0
S - N/A	--	--	--	--	--	--

Individual Leaders
	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
OU - S. Pendley	2	1	2	2	1	1
IOWA - Kurtz	2	0	2	0	0	0

Player of the Game
Shelby Pendley // Sr. // IF/P Pendley continued her remarkable run since missing four games last weekend. Monday against Iowa Pendley was 2-2 with two runs batted in and a home run. She hit an RBI single in the third and added a two-run homer in the fourth. It marked her fifth straight game with a home run, breaking a school record for consecutive games with a home run that she shared with Chamberlain. Additionally, Pendley threw 4.0 innings in the circle to earn the win and improve to 7-1 on the year.

Player of the Game

Shelby Pendley // Sr. // IF/P
Pendley continued her remarkable run since missing four games last weekend. Monday against Iowa Pendley was 2-2 with two runs batted in and a home run. She hit an RBI single in the third and added a two-run homer in the fourth. It marked her fifth straight game with a home run, breaking a school record for consecutive games with a home run that she shared with Chamberlain. Additionally, Pendley threw 4.0 innings in the circle to earn the win and improve to 7-1 on the year.

Game Notes
Oklahoma now leads the all-time series against Iowa, 12-4 ... OU is on a season-best 13 game winning streak, it's longest since winning 16 straight from April 19 - May 23 last season ... the Sooners now have 15 run-rule wins and 12 shutouts this year ... Shelby Pendley set a school record by hitting a home run in her fifth straight game ... she is only the ninth player in NCAA Division I history to have a home run in at least five games ... now at 71 home runs in her career, Pendley is tied for 11th place in DI history ... Pendley's 180 RBI at Oklahoma moves her past former Sooner Amber Flores ('07-10) for sixth on the school ledger ... Lauren Chamberlain drew the 171st walk of her career in the first inning, passing former teammate Keilani Ricketts for the most in Oklahoma history and second-most in Big 12 history ... Chamberlain also moved into third place in Big 12 history and second in OU annals for career runs scored with 233, moving past Flores

Game Notes

Oklahoma now leads the all-time series against Iowa, 12-4 ... OU is on a season-best 13 game winning streak, it's longest since winning 16 straight from April 19 - May 23 last season ... the Sooners now have 15 run-rule wins and 12 shutouts this year ... Shelby Pendley set a school record by hitting a home run in her fifth straight game ... she is only the ninth player in NCAA Division I history to have a home run in at least five games ... now at 71 home runs in her career, Pendley is tied for 11th place in DI history ... Pendley's 180 RBI at Oklahoma moves her past former Sooner Amber Flores ('07-10) for sixth on the school ledger ... Lauren Chamberlain drew the 171st walk of her career in the first inning, passing former teammate Keilani Ricketts for the most in Oklahoma history and second-most in Big 12 history ... Chamberlain also moved into third place in Big 12 history and second in OU annals for career runs scored with 233, moving past Flores

NORMAN – An eight-run fourth inning gave No. 6 Oklahoma (23-3) a 9-0, five-inning win over Iowa (8-19) Monday night at Marita Hynes Field. With the win, OU's winning streak stands at 13 games.

Leading 1-0 through three innings, the game was blown open then thanks to eight runs in the fourth inning.

With one out, the Sooners loaded the bases thanks to a single by junior Erin Miller, a hit by pitch from junior Whitney Ellis and a walk to pinch-hitting junior Tori Nirschl. In stepped No. 9 hitter freshman Kelsey Arnold who aggressively went after the first pitch and singled to left field to make it 2-0. Heading back to the top of the order, freshman Nicole Pendley pulled a single through the right side that allowed two runners to score.

Oklahoma then took advantage of an Iowa error to score two more runs.

With runners on second and third, senior Lauren Chamberlain hit a grounder to shortstop Megan Blank. Arnold initially broke for home but retreated to third when Blank threw home. Trying to get Arnold as she ran back to the base, the throw from Iowa catcher Holly Hoffman bounced off the glove of third baseman Sarah Kurtz and deflected into the outfield to allow two runs to score and make it a 6-0 OU lead.

Shelby Pendley came up next and continued her amazing hot streak at the plate by cranking a two-run home run to right center. It marked her fifth straight game with a home run, breaking a school record for consecutive games with a home run that she shared with Chamberlain.

Only eight other players in NCAA Division I history have had a home run streak reach five games. The all-time record is seven straight games with a home run by Arizona State's Kaitlin Cochran from March 20-April 2, 2009.

Remarkably, during the five-game stretch Shelby Pendley has hit eight home runs. In fact, since her return from a four-game absence on March 14, she has hit .800 (12-15) with a .850 on-base percentage and 2.533 slugging percentage. She's also scored 11 runs during that stretch with two doubles, 16 runs batted in and five walks.

The offense wasn't done in the fourth, though, as freshman Paige Parker went back-to-back with an opposite field blast to left center. It was Parker's seventh home run of the season and her fourth of the weekend.

After the offensive outburst in the fourth, fittingly it was the defense that gave the Sooners' their 15^th run-rule win of the season with some highlight-reel plays in the top of the fifth.

Kurtz led off with a double to center field but was promptly erased when junior catcher Whitney Ellis picked her off with a thrown down to Vest at second base. It was Ellis' third pickoff of the year. Oklahoma got its second out when Nicole Pendley ran in and made a diving catch in center field, while Shelby Pendley closed out the game with a diving catch in left field foul territory.

Shelby Pendley actually started the game in the pitching circle and threw the first 4.0 innings to earn the win. She struck out three, walked two and allowed two hits while improving to 7-1 on the season. Parker came on in relief for the final frame, giving up one hit as the Sooners recorded their 12^th shutout of the year.

The first two innings passed by with little action, but Iowa threatened to change that in the third.

With one out and one on, Claire Fritsch and Cheyenne Pratt drew back-to-back walks to fill the bases. Fortunately, the Sooners got out of the jam when Shelby Pendley got No. 3 hitter Sammi Gyerman to hit a chopper to sophomore Macey Hatfield at second base. Hatfield flipped to senior shortstop Jessica Vest, who stepped on second for the force out.

Iowa wasn't able to capitalize on their scoring chance in the top of the third, but the Sooners didn't miss their opportunity in the bottom of the frame.

Nicole Pendley drew a one-out walk after a seven-pitch at-bat and moved up to second base when senior Lauren Chamberlain grounded out to second. That brought Shelby Pendley to the plate and she hit a sharp single to center field to score Nicole and make it 1-0 in OU's favor.

Oklahoma is back in action tuesday night with a road contest at Wichita State. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.