The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Oklahoma
Softball falls in eight innings at Oklahoma, 5-2
05.04.2012 | Softball
May 4, 2012
NORMAN, Okla. - Georgia Casey hit a three-run, walk-off homer in the bottom of the eighth inning, giving the No. 4/3 Oklahoma Sooners a 5-2 victory over the No. 8/10 Texas Longhorns. Keilani Ricketts went 2-for-2 with a home run while improving to 26-6 in the circle by allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits with 13 strikeouts.
Oklahoma (41-7, 15-4) hit three home runs off UT starter Blaire Luna (17-4). Texas (40-9, 14-7) had a 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth before the Sooners used two solo homers to tie the game.
Ricketts was perfect through three innings until Taylor Hoagland singled to left in the top of the fourth. Lexy Bennett moved Hoagland to second on a groundout for the second out. With Courtney Craig at the plate, Hoagland advanced to second on a passed ball charged to Jessica Shults before Ricketts uncorked a wild pitch. Hoagland was able to beat the throw, sliding under Ricketts' glove on the throw from Shults as Texas scored the first run of the game.
After Taylor Thom reached on a fielder's choice with one out in the sixth, a wild pitch from Ricketts moved Thom to second and a stolen base on a third strike to Hoagland advanced her to third. Another wild pitch from Ricketts plated Thom for the 2-0 lead.
Ricketts responded by drilling her 13th home run of the season with a solo shot to deep center. With two away and a 1-2 count against her, Erica Sampson lit up the Sooner crowd with a solo blast to left to tie it at 2-2.
Luna ran into trouble in the eighth after Lauren Chamberlin hit a leadoff single, followed by a walk to Ricketts. Shults popped up to short for the first out, but Casey dug out of an 0-2 hole to Luna by smashing the walk-off homer to left center. The series continues tomorrow with a 2 p.m. start with Sunday's series finale at noon. Sunday's game will be broadcast live on ESPN.
Gametracker live stats, along with a live Twitter feed (@TexasSoftball), for all three games will be available on TexasSports.com.
Notes: Texas lost for just the second time this season in 24 games (22-2) when holding a lead after five innings...Blaire Luna registered double digit strikeouts for the seventh time this season and first time since April 1 vs. New Mexico.
TEXAS 000-101-00---2-3-0 OU 000-002-03---5-8-2Note: 1 out, 0 runners LOB when game ended.
WP - Ricketts (26-6) LP - Luna (17-4) Records: Texas (40-9, 14-7), Oklahoma (41-7, 15-4)
Luna and Ogle. Ricketts and Shults.
