The Sooners finished the regular season with a 6-1 win over North Texas Thursday night in Denton. With the win, the Sooners moved to 40-10 for the season, the 18th consecutive 40 win season under head coach Patty Gasso.
The Sooners took advantage of scoring opportunities during the win against the Mean Green, something the team has been working on over the past few games. OU opened up scoring for the game in the top of the second inning with an RBI single by junior third baseman Dani Dobbs to score freshman pitcher Keilani Ricketts who reached base with a single earlier in the inning.
North Texas responded in the bottom of the third after designated player Amber Miller walked to begin the inning and later scored off of a triple to right by center fielder Mariza Martinez. The run in the third inning was the only run for the Mean Green during the game. The starting pitcher for the Sooners, Keilani Ricketts, finished the night with her 22nd complete game and 11th shutout allowing two hits, one earned run, and 11 strikeouts through seven complete innings. With the 11 strikeouts, Ricketts moved into the fifth position on OU’s single season strikeout list.
The Sooners extended the lead in the top of the fifth with a single to right field by junior right fielder Haley Nix. Senior Amber Flores then walked to put two runners on base with one out. Freshman first baseman Jessica Shults followed with a groundout to first to advance both runners. With two outs, senior catcher Lindsey Vandever delivered a single to score Krystle Huey who was the pinch runner for Nix. Ricketts continued the two out rally with a double to right center to score Flores and Vandever. In the inning the Sooners scored three runs on three hits.
In the top of the seventh following a North Texas pitching change, Flores reached on a dropped ball by the short stop before Shults doubled down the right field line to put runners at the corners. Vandever stepped up again with runners in scoring position and doubled to right center to score Flores. Shults later scored on a fielding error by the catcher.
With the final game of the 2010 regular season complete, the Sooners will honor the two seniors in Flores and Vandever tonight at 6 p.m. at Marita Hynes field. Admission is free to all in attendance.
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