OU Bounces Back With Three Wins After Two Losses In A Row To Open 2016 Season By Bill Plummer III

NORMAN, OK–It's been rare when the OU softball team has lost two games in a row to top 25 teams to start the season. In fact, it had never happened until OU opened the 2016 season in the Sportco Kickoff Classic in Las Vegas.'

The Sooners lost twice, first to No.14/13 Minnesota, 1-0, then to No. 20/19 Washington, 10-3, in the Friday (February 12) nightcap.

 In its history, the No. 9/8 Oklahoma softball team had never faced as daunting a start to a season as it has in 2016. After losing in walk-off fashion to No. 14/13 Minnesota, 1-0, earlier in the day, OU lost to No. 20/19 Washington, 10-3, in the nightcap Friday at the Sportco Kickoff Classic in Las Vegas.

After being outscored, 11-3 in its first two games, OU turned the tables and went its next three games, outscoring the opposition, 26-2 defeating Lamar 12-2 in five innings and shutting out Syracuse University 7-0 before concluding the weekend with a win over Long Beach State

Against Lamar OU started fast and scored five times in the bottom of the first and added six more in the third for a 11-0 lead. OU went to a 12-0 lead before Lamar scored twice with the game ended via the run rule after five innings.

The Sooners needed only eight hits to score the 12 runs, and Nicole Pendley was the only player with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 and scoring two runs. Lea Wodach drove in two runs. Lamar pitchers walked 8 batters, and the Tigers committed three errors.

In the nightcap, OU’s Kelsey Stevens pitched a three-hitter, striking out six, and Erin Miller and Whitney Montgomery homered.

Against Long Beach, OU won 7-0 to up its win streak to three as Erin Miller and Sydney Romero starred offensively. Miller went 2-3 with three runs scored including her second homer of the season while Romero had three hits and a pair of runs batted in.

Sophomore Paige Parker and senior Kelsey Stevens combine to hurl the shutout. Parker went the first three innings and allowed just two hits with one strikeout and one walk. Stevens then came on in the fourth and gave up just two hits with one strikeout to improve her record to 2-1.

Oklahoma is back in action next weekend at the Troy Cox Classic in Las Cruces, N.M. Hosted by New Mexico State, the Sooners face the Aggies twice, while also taking on Creighton and Western Michigan.

Bill Plummer A graduate of Indiana University, Ind. Bill has been involved in softball for more than four decades. For 30years he was a fixture at the ASA National Office as a communications coordinator, manager of the ASA National Softball Hall of Fame and historian. In addition, he also served as the editor of the ASA official newsletter, The Inside Pitch, and as the Trade Show Manager. He has written widely about the sport and has contributed to 14 books. In 2009, he authored “The Game America Plays.” In 2012, he co-authored “Best of the Best-Women’s Fastpitch.” In 2014, ” A Series of Their Own. The History of the Women's College World Series.” He has been elected to five halls of fame, including the ASA National. In 1996, he served as the Information Manager for the debut of softball in the Olympics.

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