Sooners Split Saturday Slate

Saturday, February 17

Las Cruces, N.M.

2:30 PM

University of Oklahoma

Boston University

February 17, 2018 | Softball

By: Andie Beene

Boston

^1/1 Oklahoma

Box Score

New Mexico State

^1/1 Oklahoma

Box Score

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

Pitching
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Annerino (1-2)	4.2	4	0	0	5	1
L - Lowary (1-1)	3.1	4	2	0	1	1

Individual Leaders
	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
BU - Wong	3	1	2	2	0	0
OU - Clifton	3	1	2	1	1	0

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The No. 1 Oklahoma softball team split its Saturday slate at the Troy Cox Classic, dropping a 4-3 contest with Boston in the afternoon before bouncing back with a 2-0 victory over host New Mexico State.

Four Sooners finished the day at .500 or better at the plate in Raegan Rogers (2-for-2), Caleigh Clifton (3-for-6), Nicole Mendes (3-for-6) and Falepolima Aviu (1-for-2).

The Sooners (6-1) were handed their first loss of the season in the afternoon tilt with Boston. After a scoreless first inning, Boston got on the board in the top of the second. Emily Morrow doubled to right center and came home on Emma Wong's double. A Kaitlin Sahlinger single plated Wong to put the Terriers up 2-0.

The Sooners halved their deficit in the bottom of the frame. Sydney Romero was hit by a pitch and advanced as Nicole Pendley drew a walk. Both players stole a base, and Romero took advantage of an error on the catcher's throw to run home.

OU jumped in front in the bottom of the third, sparked by a lead-off single from Nicole Mendes. She reached second on a passed ball and was driven home by a Caleigh Clifton double to left center. Jocelyn Alo added another double two batters later to plate Clifton and put her team ahead 3-2.

However, the Sooners were undone by errors in the top of the sixth. Morrow led off with a single and Alexa Ponce reached on a dropped ball in right field before Paige Parker stepped into the circle for Paige Lowary. A throwing error by Parker to first base allowed Morrow to score, and Ponce came home on a sacrifice fly from Sahlinger.

Oklahoma was unable to convert several scoring opportunities in the loss. In both the third and fourth innings, the Sooners grounded out to end the frame with the bases loaded. OU stranded a total of 12 runners in the game.

Mariah Lopez started in the circle for OU, allowing two earned runs on four hits in 1.2 innings. Before being replaced by Parker, Lowary (1-1) threw 3.1 innings in relief and gave up two runs, both unearned. Parker did not allow a hit or a walk in 2.0 innings of work.

Inning-by-Inning
Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
OU	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	2	7	0
NMSU	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	1

Pitching
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Parker (4-0)	7.0	2	0	0	0	8
L - Green (2-1)	7.0	7	2	2	3	1

Individual Leaders
	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
OU - Rogers	2	0	2	0	1	0
NMSU - Rodriguez	3	0	2	0	0	0

The Sooners rebounded in the nightcap, shutting out host New Mexico State 2-0. The win marked the first time the Aggies (2-3) had been blanked in a regular-season matchup since April 18, 2017, a streak of 13 games.

OU was led by Rogers, who went 2-for-2 at the plate and drew a walk in her first start of the season, and Romero, who drove in both of the Sooner runs. Additionally, Oklahoma's lead-off hitters reached base in five innings.

The Sooners struck first as Clifton drew a walk to lead off the game before moving to third as Mendes singled and Shay Knighten was hit by a pitch. Clifton crossed home on a Romero RBI groundout.

Romero earned her second RBI of the game in the top of the third. Mendes reached on a single, advanced to third base on a pair of groundouts and scored on a Romero single up the middle.

Parker (4-0) claimed her fourth win of the season in a complete-game effort, registering a season-high eight strikeouts and allowing just two hits in the shutout win. Her start in the circle was the 102nd of her career, matching Jill Most for sixth-most all time in OU history, and her 138 career appearances ties her with D.J. Mathis for fourth-most at Oklahoma.

Additionally, the senior has recorded 71 career complete games to rank sixth in program history, and 30 career shutouts to rank seventh.

Parker has not given up an earned run in 21.1 innings of work this season, nor has Lowary in her 9.2 innings. The Sooners lead the Big 12 with their 0.74 ERA (Baylor ranks second at 1.47 and Kansas third at 2.80).

New Mexico State's Kayla Green (2-1) also threw a complete game, surrendering seven hits, two earned runs and three walks.

Up next, the Sooners travel to Palm Springs, Calif., for the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Feb. 22-24 (Thursday-Saturday). On Thursday night, OU will face No. 18/16 Arizona State before an exhibition game with Team Japan. OU will take on BYU on Friday and both North Carolina and No. 12/11 Arizona on Saturday.