Karl Anderson (Photo Courtesy of Oklahoma Athletics)
PHOENIX, Ariz. – No. 11/7 Oklahoma (4-2) opened a big lead and had to withstand a comeback attempt as it posted an 11-6 win over Illinois State (1-5) on Friday at the Littlewood Classic.
The Sooners jumped out to an 8-0 lead after the top of the third, but the Redbirds fought back with a six-run third inning to keep it close.
The 11 runs matched a season high set against Loyola Marymount on Feb. 8, while the team’s 14 hits were the most it had recorded all season.
Oklahoma scored first, taking a 1-0 lead in the game’s opening inning.
Senior Destinee Martinez reached on a one-out infield single to first base and advanced to second on junior Lauren Chamberlain’s walk. Two batters later, sophomore Leslie Miller delivered the big hit as she singled on a 3-2 pitch with two outs to drive home Martinez. The single also extended her hitting streak to a season-best four games.
The Sooners used a five-run third inning to break the game open in the second inning. It was the third time in six games that OU has had an inning with at least five runs scored.
Sophomore Erin Miller got things started with a one-out walk before junior Georgia Casey launched her team-best fourth home run of the year to left field. The two-run shot was also the 20th homer of Casey’s career.
Martinez followed Casey with her second single of the game and, once again, took second on a walk by Chamberlain. Junior Shelby Pendley then crushed a line drive home run to center field to push the OU lead to 6-0. It was her third home run of the season, 25th as a Sooner and the 44th of her career.
Oklahoma added to its lead in the third inning.
Senior Brittany Williams singled on the first pitch of the frame and was replaced on the bases by junior Callie Parsons. After a pair of outs, Casey walked and Martinez singled for the third time to load the bases. After walking in her first two plate appearances, Chamberlain delivered a single up the middle to drive in two runs. She now has 167 RBI in her career, moving past Casey Dickson for seventh in OU history.
The two-run single proved to be the difference even though Illinois State fought back with a six-run third inning behind an RBI single from Stephanie Gallant, a three-run home run from Regan Romshek and a two-run double from Kara Repp.
Casey was knocked from the circle after giving up four runs in 2.1 innings of work. After Leslie Miller followed by giving up two runs in two-thirds of an inning, sophomore Taylor Dewbery made her season debut and pitched quite effectively. She allowed no runs and no hits while walking three in pitching the final four innings of the contest.
Oklahoma got three insurance runs in the sixth inning when Williams connected on her first home run of the season and the 26th of her career. Also scoring on the play were Pendley, who singled, and sophomore Whitney Ellis, who walked.
