Aviu Homers Twice as Sooners Run-Rule Terps

Saturday, March 12

Norman

5:45 PM

University of Oklahoma

Maryland

Aviu Homers Twice as Sooners Run-Rule Terps

March 12, 2016 | Softball

By: Karl Anderson

Maryland

^13/14 Oklahoma

Box Score

Highlights

Inning-by-Inning
Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
UMD	0	0	0	0	2	0	x	2	5	1
OU	2	0	0	0	3	6	x	11	10	0

Pitching
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Parker (6-2)	1.1	1	0	0	0	1
L - Nation (2-10)	0.1	2	2	2	1	0
S - N/A	-	-	-	-	-	-

Individual Leaders
	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
OU - Aviu	4	2	2	6	0	2
UMD - Dewey	3	1	1	2	0	1

Game Notes
Saturday's game was the first ever between Oklahoma and Maryland ... Oklahoma has won eight straight games, a season-high ... the win was OU's seventh by run-rule this season ... the team is 6-0 at home this season ... OU stole a season-high five bases, including a career-high three by sophomore Kelsey Arnold ... the three stolen bases were the most by a Sooner since Evan Sallis stole three at Texas Tech on March 10, 2009 ... freshman Fale Aviu had the second multi-homer game of her career and set a career high with six RBI ... the six RBI were the most by a Sooner since Georgia Casey had six against Arkansas last season on April 8 ... sophomore Lea Wodach pushed her hitting streak to a career-high 13 games by going 2-2

Game Notes

Saturday's game was the first ever between Oklahoma and Maryland ... Oklahoma has won eight straight games, a season-high ... the win was OU's seventh by run-rule this season ... the team is 6-0 at home this season ... OU stole a season-high five bases, including a career-high three by sophomore Kelsey Arnold ... the three stolen bases were the most by a Sooner since Evan Sallis stole three at Texas Tech on March 10, 2009 ... freshman Fale Aviu had the second multi-homer game of her career and set a career high with six RBI ... the six RBI were the most by a Sooner since Georgia Casey had six against Arkansas last season on April 8 ... sophomore Lea Wodach pushed her hitting streak to a career-high 13 games by going 2-2

NORMAN – Freshman Fale Aviu homered twice as No. 13/14 Oklahoma (16-4) put up nine runs over the final two innings to pull away from Maryland (7-16), 11-2, in six innings Saturday night at Marita Hynes Field. The win, which came in the first ever meeting between the schools, pushed Oklahoma's winning streak to a season-best eight games.

It was the second multi-homer game of Aviu's career, with the previous effort coming in game one of a doubleheader against Dartmouth on March 5. She finished 2-4 on the day with two runs scored and a career-high six runs batted in. The six RBI were the most by a Sooner since Georgia Casey drove in six against Arkansas on April 8 of last season.

Tied 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth, sophomore Kelsey Arnold walked with one out against Hannah Dewey, Maryland's starting pitcher. That prompted a pitching change as Brenna Nation replaced Dewey. Arnold immediately stole second before sophomore Lea Wodach drew one of her two walks in the game. A lineout made it seem like the Sooners were going to strand the runners, but Aviu answered the call.

Working it in a 2-1 count, she drilled an offering from Nation over the fence in left field for her fourth home run of the season.

Oklahoma stole five bases in the game, a season-high. Three of them came from Arnold, giving her the most in a game by a Sooner since Evan Sallis had three at Texas Tech on March 10, 2009.

Now leading 5-2, Oklahoma poured it on with a six-run sixth as Aviu provided the exclamation point.

Senior Whitney Montgomery led off with a bunt single, and freshman Sydney Romero followed with a double to left center. Senior Paris Townsend entered as a pinch hitter for Arnold, and while she was batting, a wild pitch allowed Montgomery to score and make it 6-2 in OU's favor.

Townsend finished the plate appearance with a four-pitch walk and Arnold re-entered the game at first for her. Arnold then stole second and the throw got away from the Maryland defenders, allowing Romero to score and move Arnold to third.

Wodach, who extended her hitting streak to 13 games by going 2-2 on the day, collected her second hit of the contest when she singled back to the pitcher. Freshman Raegan Rogers pinch-ran for Wodach and stole second to put two in scoring position.

Senior Erin Miller extended OU's lead to 9-2 when she pulled a single through the right side. Aviu then gave Oklahoma its seventh run-rule win of the season when she drove a 1-2 pitch to straight-away center for her fifth home run of the season.

Aviu helped drive in the first run of the game in the bottom of the first when she grounded out to second with the bases loaded, allowing Arnold to score the first of her three runs in the game. Senior Kady Self then collected one of her two hits with a single to left field, giving OU the early 2-0 lead.

Oklahoma senior Kelsey Stevens got the start in the circle and was effective as she pitched the first 3.0 innings. She struck out five and allowed just two hits without giving up a run or surrendering a walk.

She was replaced by freshman Jayden Chestnut to start the fourth inning. Maryland ended up tying the game in the fifth when Dewey hit a two-run homer to right-center off Chestnut.

Sophomore Paige Parker entered in relief for Chestnut after the home run and gave up a double, but that would be the only hit she allowed as she got the final four outs for OU to earn the win. She struck out one and allowed one hit with no runs or walks yielded to improve to 6-2 on the season.

Oklahoma closes out the weekend with one more game against Maryland on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for noon.