DePaul University Athletics
DePaul University
Oklahoma
DePaul Fights Back But Comes Up Short
3/17/2011 12:00:00 AM | SOFTBALL
March 17, 2011
FULLERTON, Calif. - DePaul never conceded a thing facing one of the best pitchers in the country Thursday at the prestigious Judi Garman Classic.
The Blue Demons battled back to tie No. 9/8 Oklahoma before succumbing 4-3 in eight innings, snapping an eight-game winning streak.
Oklahoma All-American Keilani Ricketts needed every one of her 17 strikeouts to hold off determined DePaul (15-3), which spotted the Sooners a 3-0 lead before scoring single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.
"Ricketts is one of the best pitchers in the country, but there were too many strikeouts," said DePaul coach Eugene Lenti. "Our hitters need to make adjustments to the pitcher quicker."
Brianna Turang scored in the top of the first inning for Oklahoma (23-6) on an illegal pitch from Bree Brown. In the fourth, Dani Dodds hit a two-run home run.
But Marla Mathews began the comeback with a solo home run in the fifth. One inning later, Katelyn Braget and Samantha Dodd executed a double steal with Braget coming around to score on a throwing error.
Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Mathews was hit by a pitch and Sarah Shizas ran for her. Samantha Morgan reached on an error.
That brought up Alex Morocco with one out, and the senior center-fielder ripped a clutch base hit that scored Shizas with the tying run.
"One thing for sure about this team is that it simply refuses to give up," Lenti said. "We did a nice job of battling back, and Lindsey Dean did very well holding Oklahoma scoreless in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.
"But you don't want to let a game like this one slip away."
With the benefit of the tie-breaker rule, Oklahoma went ahead in the top of the eighth when Jessica Shults scored on an uncharacteristic error by DePaul (15-3).
In the Blue Demons' final at-bat, Ricketts struck out the first two hitters and induced a groundout from Brittney Yniguez.
"We know we can play with these teams," Lenti said about going against the NCAA's softball elite. "We are just as good as anyone here.
"It's just a matter of who executes in the right part of the game."
DePaul is scheduled for a 3 p.m. showdown Friday against No. 12/14 Texas.
NOTES: Morocco was 3-for-4 with an RBI against Ricketts while Dodd was 2-for-4... Mathews had a home run, RBI and run scored with one swing... Brown and Dean combined to limit the powerful Sooners to just three hits... Oklahoma had come into the game batting .333 as a team and averaging nearly nine hits per game... what hurt the Blue Demon pitching staff was the strikeout-to-walk ratio... Brown and Dean combined for nine strikeouts and nine walks while Ricketts had 17 strikeouts and one walk... Dean pitched four innings and did not give up an earned run... the senior right-hander only gave up one hit and had five strikeouts and three walks... DePaul was charged with two errors against Oklahoma, and the Blue Demons had only made three errors in their first 17 games... this was Dean's second strong effort in relief this season... she earned a win in relief last month in DePaul's 5-4 victory over then-No. 22 Ohio State... in that game, Dean went five innings and did not give up an earned run.
