OU blanks Kansas softball – Sooners 10, Jayhawks 0

By Ryan Wood Mar 24, 2003

Melissa Lacey/Journal-World Photo

Kansas' Destiny Frankenstein lays down a bunt to advance a runner to second base in the first inning. The Jayhawks lost to Oklahoma, 10-0, Sunday at Jayhawk Field.

There are lessons to be learned from a loss like Sunday’s, but Kansas University’s softball team probably would prefer just to forget about the whole ugly episode.

Fourth-ranked Oklahoma, fueled by a nine-run third inning, stomped No. 24 Kansas, 10-0, Sunday at Jayhawk Field. The game was called after five-innings because of the 10-run mercy rule.

“The lesson is, when the other team starts coming at you, you’ve got to stay aggressive and focused,” KU coach Tracy Bunge said. “We got back on our heels a little bit.”

It led to a huge OU third inning. The Sooners (27-4 overall, 3-1 Big 12 Conference) sent 13 batters to the plate in the frame, had seven hits, benefited from two Jayhawk errors and scored nine runs. The loss dropped Kansas to 18-8 overall and 0-4 in the Big 12.

The Sooners tacked on another run in the fifth, putting the mercy rule into effect. It might have been a blessing for the Jayhawks.

“Balls were hit decently hard, and they just found holes,” OU coach Patty Gasso said. “Runners were moving and making things happen. Those are the little things we need to do.”

Kansas scattered just three singles over five innings. Oklahoma had 11 hits — all singles, and none of them isolated — leading to a load of runs and an insurmountable Sooner advantage.

The pitching matchup was the same Sunday as it was in Saturday’s 3-1 Sooner victory. Kami Keiter (17-1) surrendered just two hits in three innings of work for the win. Meanwhile, KU junior Kara Pierce struggled Sunday, giving up seven hits and five earned runs in 21Â¼3 innings. She fell to 11-6 on the season.

Asked what went wrong, Bunge had no definite answer.

“I don’t know if I can pinpoint any one thing,” she said. “There was not a phase of the game that was good today. When it went bad, it went bad.”

Kansas will have just a day of rest before continuing its homestand. The Jayhawks will face Oklahoma City University, the reigning NAIA national champion, in a doubleheader Tuesday. The first game is at 2 p.m., with the second starting approximately 4 p.m.

“We’re going to test our ability to come back,” Bunge said. “We’ve been a team to bounce back well from losses all year long. This will be a little harder.

“This team feels embarrassed about the way it played in front of its home crowd. I promise you, we will get after it. This is the type of loss that will motivate this group.”