Norman — The Sooner Softball team improved to 19-3 on the season after two wins Saturday against Utah and Northern Iowa.
In the first game in the early afternoon, OU beat Northern Iowa 4-1 and OU’s freshman pitcher Keilani Ricketts picked up her 12th victory of the season, which was also her ninth complete game of the year.
The Sooners got on the board early in the first inning when right fielder Haley Nix hit a leadoff home run to right field.
This was the ninth leadoff home run of the season.
In the second game later in the day, the Sooners had to rally to beat Utah 9-5.
Utah was ahead 2-1 in the fifth inning when OU’s bats came alive.
Senior Amber Flores and freshman Jessica Shults led off the inning with back-to-back walks before Lindsey Vandever hit a double that sent Flores home.
Freshman Brianna Turang then reached first on a fielder’s choice that saw everyone safe.
After getting the first out of the inning, Katie Norris drew a bases loaded walk to send Shults home and put OU ahead by one.
Unfortunately for the Utes, OU didn’t stop there. Sooner junior Dani Dobbs then hit a double in the gap of center field to clear the bases and put OU up 6-2.
In total, the Sooners scored five runs on two hits in the fifth inning.
Utah came back in the top of the sixth inning, but the Sooners matched the Utes’ three runs with three of their own in the bottom of the sixth to put Utah away for good.
The Sooners next face Northern Iowa at 12:15 p.m. today.
