Sooners Hold Off Longhorns in Series Opener

^RV/RV Texas

^12/9 Oklahoma

Box Score

Highlights

DH Photos

Inning-by-Inning
Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
UT	0	0	2	0	4	0	2	8	7	0
OU	2	2	0	2	0	3	x	9	12	1

Pitching
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Parker (19-3)	7.0	7	8	4	4	7
L - von Sprecken (9-2)	3.2	7	4	4	1	1
S - N/A	-	-	-	-	-	-

Individual Leaders
	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
UT - Kern	4	1	1	4	0	1
OU - Knighten	3	2	3	4	1	1

Game Notes
Oklahoma now leads the all-time series against Texas, 32-24, including a 14-8 advantage in Norman ... OU has won five straight in the series and eight of the past nine meetings ... Oklahoma is 7-1 in Big 12 play and 13-2 at home this season ... Oklahoma's 1-2-3 hitters combined to go 7-10 with eight runs scored and five runs batted in ... the Sooners tied a season high with five stolen bases ... OU has outscored opponents 89-15 in the first two innings this year ... the nine runs scored by Oklahoma were its most against Texas since a 10-2, run-rule win in the 2013 Women's College World Series ... Shay Knighten tied a career high with three hits, her fourth such game this year, and set a career high with two stolen bases ... Erin Miller tied a career high with four runs scored and was 2-3 to extend her hitting streak to a season-best seven games ... Miller leads the team with 17 multi-hit games this year

Game Notes

Oklahoma now leads the all-time series against Texas, 32-24, including a 14-8 advantage in Norman ... OU has won five straight in the series and eight of the past nine meetings ... Oklahoma is 7-1 in Big 12 play and 13-2 at home this season ... Oklahoma's 1-2-3 hitters combined to go 7-10 with eight runs scored and five runs batted in ... the Sooners tied a season high with five stolen bases ... OU has outscored opponents 89-15 in the first two innings this year ... the nine runs scored by Oklahoma were its most against Texas since a 10-2, run-rule win in the 2013 Women's College World Series ... Shay Knighten tied a career high with three hits, her fourth such game this year, and set a career high with two stolen bases ... Erin Miller tied a career high with four runs scored and was 2-3 to extend her hitting streak to a season-best seven games ... Miller leads the team with 17 multi-hit games this year

NORMAN – No. 12/9 Oklahoma (32-7, 7-1 Big 12) withstood multiple rallies to hold off Texas (27-11, 2-4) Friday, 9-8, in game one of a doubleheader at Marita Hynes Field.

The Sooners held a 6-2 lead after the fourth before Texas hit a game-tying grand slam in the top of the fifth. OU then regained the lead on a three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth, but Texas scored twice in the top of the seventh and had the tying run on base before OU could secure the win.

The top of the order made the difference for Oklahoma. Senior Erin Miller and freshmen Sydney Romero and Shay Knighten combined to go 7-10 with eight runs scored and five runs driven in.

Miller was 2-3 to push her hitting streak to a season-best seven games and tied a career high with four runs scored. Romero went 2-4 with two runs scored, while Knighten matched a career high in hits by going 3-3 with two runs scored and four runs batted in.

Oklahoma, winners of seven in a row overall, have won five in a row against Texas and eight of the past nine meetings in the series. The nine runs were the most OU scored against the Longhorns since a 10-2, run-rule win during the 2013 Women's College World Series.

The Longhorns erased a 6-2 deficit in the top of the fifth, tying the game on Holly Kern's grand slam. Texas loaded the bases with no one out, in part because of an OU error. OU starter Paige Parker fought back with a strikeout and flyout, but on an 0-2 pitch Kern took her deep to center for her second homer of the year. All four runs were unearned because of the error.

The game remained tied at 6-6 going to the bottom of the sixth, but Knighten came through in the clutch for OU.

Miller led off with a single to right and Romero followed with a bunt single. Texas went to its third pitcher of the day as Kristen Clark replaced Paige von Sprecken, but Knighten greeted her with a three-run home run to left center on the second pitch of the at-bat. It was Knighten's team-leading ninth homer of the season.

Texas wouldn't go down without a fight, however, in the top of the seventh.

The first three batters all reached on a single, a walk and another single. The Sooners traded an out for a run as Celina Felix reached on an RBI fielder's choice, while senior Kady Self made a great catch on a sinking line drive in left field for the second out.

A wild pitch allowed another run to score, putting OU's lead at 9-8 before pinch hitter Bekah Alcozar walked to put the tying run on. Reagan Hathaway batted as the go-ahead run, but Parker froze her on a 2-2 pitch to end the game.

Parker is now 19-3 on the season and 7-0 in Big 12 play after throwing her 15th complete game of the year. She allowed a season-high eight runs, though only four were earned, struck out seven and walked four.

OU scored first by plating two runs in the first and then added two more in the second. On the season, Oklahoma has outscored teams 89-15 in the first two innings combined.

Miller led off with a walk and moved to third two batters later when Knighten doubled to the wall in right field. Self then drew a walk to fill the bases, and Clifton brought in the game's first run when she was hit by a pitch. Fellow freshman Fale Aviu doubled the lead in the next at-bat when she lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Knighten.

Sophomore Kelsey Arnold led with off the second with a bunt single. Miller batted next and hit a scalding line drive to center field. Arnold raced around the bases and attempted to slide into home, but her path was blocked by Texas catcher Erin Shireman. However, Arnold was awarded home plate due to obstruction.

After a fly out, Miller moved to third on a wild pitch before a walk to Knighten put runners on the corners. A pop out resulted in the second out of the inning, but before the third out came the duo executed a perfect double steal and Miller slid in around the tag to push the lead to 4-0.

Texas cut the OU lead in half in the top of the third when Celina Felix lined a two-run double into the gap in left center, but the Sooners got both of those runs back in the bottom of the fourth.

With one out and one on, Romero singled through the left side. Knighten then dropped a run-scoring single into right-center to make it 5-2. Self came up next and, on a 2-1 count, hit a sharp single to right, bringing home Knighten to push the lead back to four runs at 6-2.