Mizzou Drops Finale to Sooners, 2-1

Sunday, April 22

Norman, Okla.

2:30PM

University of Missouri

No.5/5 Oklahoma

4/22/2012 12:00:00 AM | Softball

April 22, 2012

NORMAN, Okla. – The No. 10 Mizzou softball team fell by a 2-1 score in the rubber match against the No. 5 Oklahoma Sooners on Sunday afternoon. Oklahoma's Keilani Ricketts improved to 23-6 with the win, while Chelsea Thomas fell to 18-7.

No. 5 Oklahoma 2, No. 10 Mizzou 1
Box Score

Time: 1:57
Att: 757

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
MIZZOU	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	4	1
OU	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	4	3

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Ricketts (23-6)	7.0	4	1	0	1	11
L - Thomas (18-7)	6.0	4	2	2	2	4

Hitting Leaders	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR	SB
MU - Sykes	4	0	2	1	0	0	0
MU - Hudson	3	0	1	0	0	0	0

The Sooners struck first for the third consecutive game, getting a run in the first inning. Destinee Martinez hit a chopper through the left side to lead off the frame and stole second base. With one out, Ricketts helped her own cause with a grounder into right, scoring Martinez to make it 1-0.

Oklahoma extended their lead in the second after the first two hitters reached safely. Jessica Shults doubled to right to lead off the inning and Brianna Turang singled to center field to put runners on the corners. Two batters later, Javen Henson laid down a bunt to score Shults and reached on a sacrifice fly.

Mizzou got one back in the third, aided by an error by Brianna Turang to start the inning. Corrin Genovese hit a fly ball to right-center that Turang dropped, allowing Genovese to get to second. She moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI single by Mackenzie Sykes, cutting the lead to 2-1.

The Tigers were almost gifted more runs in the fourth on Oklahoma's third error of the game, but the Sooners worked out of it, stranding two base runners in scoring position. Angela Randazzo singled with two down and Lindsey Muller followed hitting a grounder to Javen Henson at third, who over threw the OU first baseman and allowed the Tiger runners to move to second and third. However, Ricketts struck out Genovese to end the inning.

For the first time in the series, the Tigers were unable to rally and send the game to extras. They put two aboard with two outs in the fifth but a strikeout ended the rally. Ricketts set Mizzou down 1-2-3 in both the sixth and seventh to end it.

Sykes led the offense, going 2-for-4 with the lone RBI. Hudson and Randazzo provided the other two hits for the Tiger offense.

Missouri next plays on Friday, April 27 against the Iowa State Cyclones in Ames, Iowa. For more information, head to mutigers.com.