Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Oklahoma
No. 20 Oklahoma Defeats Northwestern, 8-0
5/21/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 21, 2004
TUCSON, Ariz. -- A day after pounding UC Santa Barbara in its NCAA Regional opening game, Northwestern fell to No. 20 Oklahoma Friday, 8-0, in six innings.
With the loss, Northwestern (33-19) falls into the loser's bracket of the double-elimination tournament where it will take on fourth-seeded South Carolina tonight at 9 p.m. CDT. The Gamecocks fell to five-seed Louisiana Lafayette yesterday before defeating Centenary 8-3 in today's first game.
Oklahoma (42-19-1) took an early 1-0 lead, scoring only the fifth run NU has allowed during the second inning all season. Christina Enea came home to score on an April Valdez single over second base, but senior Carri Leto made a fantastic diving stop on the play to keep the ball in the infield and prevent another Sooner run from scoring on the play.
In the fourth inning, Eryn Manahan walked and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jamie Dotson. Senior J.C. Kira then blooped a single into left field, but Manahan was out at the plate following a perfect Sooner throw to end the NU threat and the inning.
Oklahoma added another run in the bottom half of the frame on a home run by Kami Keiter.
Leto singled with two outs in the top of the fifth to keep her hitting streak alive at 17 games. Erin Mobley followed with her second single of the game, but the NU rally would end there.
"We had a couple of chances early on to shift the momentum," Northwestern head coach Kate Drohan said. "We just could not take advantage."
The Sooners broke things open in the fifth inning, scoring five runs on four hits and a pair of walks to make the score 7-0. Courtnay Foster came in to relieve NU starter Eileen Canney midway through the inning. Canney was charged with three of the inning's runs while Foster took the hit for the final two after giving up a three-run double to Keiter.
Oklahoma ended the game with another run in the sixth inning. The 8-0 final marks only the third time all season Northwestern has been shut out and the second time it has been run-ruled. The Wildcats have shut out 14 opponents and run-ruled four teams this season.
Canney (18-4) took the loss in the game, giving up five runs on nine hits in four-and-a-third innings pitched.
Keiter (19-12) earned the win for Oklahoma.
