Saturday College Softball Roundup

Sooners Run-Rule Texas To Win Series

NORMAN, Okla. – No. 12 Oklahoma (34-10, 11-2) captured the most important series of the season to date with an 8-0, five-inning victory over Texas (27-18, 7-3) Saturday night. The Sooners took two of three from the Longhorns and now control their own destiny for the Big 12 title.

A pair of four-run innings lifted OU to the run-rule victory, its 17th such victory of the season. The team scored four runs in the first inning and four more in the third inning.

Sophomores Whitney Ellis and Paris Townsend hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning. Each drove in a pair of runs, as did fellow sophomore Kady Self.

Sophomore Kelsey Stevens threw a three-hit shutout, her sixth of the year. She struck out seven and walked one. She retired eight batters in a row at one point between the second and fifth innings.

Senior Destinee Martinez was 3-for-3 with a run scored and RBI, while junior Georgia Casey was 2-for-3 with two runs scored at the top of the lineup.

No. 16 Tulsa Defeats UTSA 2-1 in 11 Innings

SAN ANTONIO – Senior Haley Henshaw's home run in the top of the 11th inning gave No. 16 Tulsa a 2-1 win at UTSA and complete the series sweep Saturday afternoon at Roadrunner Field.

Senior Aimee Creger (21-1) went the distance, striking out 16 batters and allowing two hits for the Golden Hurricane (41-5, 15-2 C-USA). Nicole Merrill (7-9) took the loss after pitching 5.0 innings in relief of Kacy Freeze. The Roadrunners fell to 20-26, 7-11 C-USA).

Saturday's 11-inning contest was the longest for Tulsa since 2012, when it defeated Oregon State 9-7 in 11 innings in the NCAA Regional.

"You have to admire the fight. They kept fighting and kept the pressure on," Tulsa Head Coach John Bargfeldt said. "Aimee did a great job. It was good to see the team go through adversity this weekend. They were two different types of wins (including the comeback win Friday), but two games you just have to fight hard to win."

UTSA scored its run on a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning by Jori Fox. The Hurricane tied it up in the top of the third on an RBI single by Julie Kernen. Jill Barrett, who got it started with a one-out single and scored on Kernen's hit, finished the game 3-for-5 to lead the 10-hit effort by the Hurricane.

Henshaw's homer in the 11th was a shot to right field, her fifth of the season. Tulsa had opportunities in other innings. TU put runners at second and third with one out in the sixth inning, and had the bases loaded with one out in the eighth inning, but was not able to cross the plate until the 11th.

Aside from the home run, the other UTSA hit was a single in the third inning. The remainder of the Roadrunner baserunners came on four walks and two hit batters. UTSA only had one runner on base in the fifth, seventh, ninth and 10th innings, and only two runners reached scoring position after the home run.

The Golden Hurricane plays at Oklahoma State at 7 p.m. Wednesday, before returning home for a three-game series against Middle Tennessee next weekend, April 26-27.

Cowgirls Drop Series Finale to No. 14 Baylor

STILLWATER, Okla. – Four home runs, including two by Jordan Strickland, were too much for Oklahoma State as the Cowgirls dropped the final contest of the three-game series to No. 14 Baylor 8-0 in six innings Saturday afternoon in Big 12 softball action at Cowgirl Stadium.

The Bears (32-10, 6-4 Big 12) got on the board in the top of the third inning when Strickland hit her first homer of the game, a three-run shot to left center, to put Baylor up 3-0. In the top of the next inning, Kaitlyn Thumann hit a two-run shot of her own to left field.

Strickland's second home run of the game came in the top of the fifth when her two-run bomb extended the Baylor lead to 7-0. Baylor closed out the scoring on a solo shot by Linsey Hays in the top of the sixth frame to give the Bears the 8-0 lead and the run-rule victory.

The Cowgirls' three hits were registered by Shelby Davis, Ari Morrison and Gessenia DeLaCruz, who all hit singles.

Senior Simone Freeman (19-11) started in the circle for OSU and pitched five innings, allowing seven runs on eight hits and striking out four. Meagan Lively came on in relief in the sixth and threw one inning, allowing one run on two hits while striking out two.

Oklahoma State (24-20, 4-9) will return to the diamond Wednesday, April 23, when the Cowgirls take on the No. 16 Tulsa Hurricane at 7 p.m. at Cowgirl Stadium.