OU Run Rules Cowgirls In Bedlam Softball

The No. 6 ranked Sooner softball team was on top of its game Wednesday night as it traveled to Stillwater and used four home runs to run-rule the Oklahoma State Cowgirls 11-1.

OU's Javen Henson went 3-for-3 with two home runs and four RBI on the night as the Sooners scored eight of its runs off a total of four home runs en route to the big Bedlam victory.

The Sooners scored three runs in the top of the first on a three-run home run by Jessica Shults.

OSU answered with a run of its own in the bottom half of the frame without the benefit of a hit. After Kelsey Anchors walked with one out, she was safe at second on an error by shortstop Jessica Vest. With two outs, Chelsea Garcia hit a grounder down towards third base, and Henson fumbled the ball, allowing Anchors to score.

In the second, Henson sent her sixth home run of the season, a solo shot, over the left field fence making it 4-1.

The Sooners got their third home run in as many innings in the third when Brittany Williams sent a three run shot to left to expand OU's to 7-1. Shults led the inning off with a hit through the right side of the OSU defense before Ricketts singled to left center to move Callie Parson, who pinch ran for Shults, to second. After a Georgia Casey deep fly was caught on the warning track, Williams sent a 1-0 pitch over the left field fence as she became the sixth OU player with at least five home runs this season.

Henson continued Oklahoma's run of a home run in each inning as she sent the first pitch of the fourth inning over the center field fence for her first ever game with multiple home runs giving OU an 8-1 lead.

The Cowgirls threatened to score in the bottom of that frame when Julie Ward led off with a hit up the middle, OSU's only hit of the game. However, a pair of strikeouts and an infield pop-up ended the inning with two runners on.

Oklahoma finished off its scoring in the top of the fifth with three more runs, including two on a single by Henson. Michelle Gascoigne came on in the bottom of the fifth and ended the game.

Keilani Ricketts picked up the win for OU and is now 19-4 on the season. OSU junior Kat Espinosa got the start for the Cowgirls and took the loss falling to 10-8. Sophomore Morgan Hawkins came on in relief in the third inning.

Oklahoma State is now 18-16 overall, 2-6 Big 12 while Oklahoma is 33-5 and 9-2 in conference games.

OU goes on the road to College Station to face No. 17 Texas A&M starting Saturday at 7 p.m. while Oklahoma State will host the Iowa State Cyclones in a three-game series this weekend also starting Friday night at 7 pm.