Iowa Falls at No. 8/9 Oklahoma

Stats

March 4, 2012

Box Score

• Download your Iowa Hawkeye iPhone app!
• Iowa and the Big Ten Network
• Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
• 24 Hawkeyes to Watch

NORMAN, Okla. — The University of Iowa softball team dropped a 4-2 decision at No. 8/9 Oklahoma on Sunday afternoon at Marita Hynes Field.

“Oklahoma is a great ball club, they’re highly ranked for a reason,” said UI head coach Marla Looper. “Our team did a nice job of adjusting from last night. Coming into the ball game, knowing we were going to face (Keilani) Ricketts, and she’s a phenomenal pitcher.

“It took us a little while to get on her, but we didn’t get down, and we knew we’d eventually get some runs and hits on the board. Our effort was good today.”

The loss drops Iowa’s record to 9-9 overall, while the Sooners improve to 14-3 on the season.

Oklahoma jumped out to a 4-0 lead, plating all four runs in the second and third innings. Lauren Chamberlain tripled down the right field line to lead off the second before scoring on an Iowa passed ball.

In the third, Destinee Martinez reached on an infield single, stole second and scored the Sooners’ second run on Ricketts’ RBI double down the left field line. Two batters later, OU second baseman Georgia Casey connected on a towering two-run long ball into the top row of the bleachers in left field to push the margin to 4-0.

The Hawkeyes cut their deficit in half with two runs in the top of the fifth inning. Sophomore Brianna Luna was Iowa’s first base runner in the game, reaching on a hit by pitch before senior Liz Watkins followed with an infield single to put two on.

Junior Bradi Wall’s RBI single to left field knocked in Luna to make the score 4-1. Pinch hitter Kayla Massey then laced a fly ball into the right field gap, but Martinez made a running grab for the second out. Watkins scored from third base on the sacrifice fly, cutting the deficit to 4-2.

Junior Chelsea Lyon suffered the loss, allowing four runs on seven hits in the complete game. She had four strikeouts to two walks. Ricketts allowed two runs on three hits to pick up her eighth victory. The junior southpaw had 11 strikeouts and zero walks in seven innings.

Megan Blank, Watkins and Wall each tallied a hit. Wall had an RBI, while Watkins and Luna accounted for Iowa’s two runs.

Iowa returns to action March 14 at Long Beach State beginning at 4 p.m.