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Oklahoma Continues to Roll, Texas Tech Still Can't Score


No. 1 Oklahoma is visiting Texas Tech this weekend, so I took in this afternoon's contest. The Red Raiders, who have made the NCAA tournament the past three years, are looking like they won't make it this year. The Sooners, on the other hand, continue to soar.

In today's 6-0 OU win, Michelle Gascoigne was in the circle for the Sooners, so Tech only had to deal with star pitcher Keilani Ricketts as a batter (in the designated-player role). Unfortunately for the Raiders, Ricketts (shown at right walking up to the plate) hit a pair of homers today!

In Friday night's series opener, Ricketts pitched a six-inning (run-ruled) no-hitter over Tech, as the final was 9-0 OU.

Immediately prior to the Oklahoma series, the Raiders had also been no-hit last Sunday (for seven innings) in a 4-0 loss to Kansas. Tech was also shut-out by the Jayhawks 3-0 (seven innings) in the Saturday game of the KU series; the Raiders got four hits in this game, the last with two outs in the fourth, as the final 10 Raiders were retired. In the Friday game of the Kansas series, Tech lost 4-3, but went the final inning and two-thirds without scoring.

The good news for Texas Tech today, if one can call it that, is that the Raiders ended their hitless streak at 18 innings, as Katelyn Williams doubled with two outs in the second inning (bottom photo, on which you may click to enlarge).

However, Tech's streak of innings without scoring a run remains intact at 28 and 2/3. The Raiders should have scored in the fifth inning today, with a runner on third and a deep, potential sacrifice fly-out to left, but the runner appeared to misjudge the situation.


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