LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Looking to make history, the Boston University softball team shocked No. 1 and two-time defending national champion Oklahoma, 4-3, on Saturday afternoon at New Mexico State's Troy Cox Classic.
Sophomore
Lizzie Annerino (1-1) collected her first-career win by pitching 4.2 scoreless innings of relief with only four hits allowed, while seniors
Kaitlin Sahlinger and
Emma Wong went a combined 3-of-4 with four RBIs to lead the offense. The win marked BU's first against the nation's top team and the first against a ranked squad since last year's 3-1 victory at then-No. 23 Florida Atlantic.
Now owning wins over the Big 12 (Oklahoma), Big Ten (Michigan State) and ACC (Duke), BU moves to 4-3 following Saturday's doubleheader split that included a hard-fought 6-5 loss to Ball State (4-2) and its first win over the Sooners (5-1) since 1993.
GAME TWO: BU 4, #1 OKLAHOMA 3
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Terriers jumped out ahead in the top of the second behind back-to-back doubles from junior Emily Morrow and Wong against 2017 WCWS game-two winner and Top-25 NFCA Freshman of the Year finalist Mariah Lopez.
- Sahlinger followed with an RBI single to plate Wong and force a pitching change.
- The Sooners cut the deficit in half against sophomore Kali Magane in the bottom of the second without a hit thanks to a hit-by-pitch, walk and throwing error during the successful double-steal.
- Oklahoma grabbed its first lead in the bottom of the third with two runs against freshman Cali Dolfi off a single and a pair of doubles.
- After grounding out in the next at-bat against Annerino, the Sooners drew a walk and hit-by-pitch but left the bases loaded with a second groundout to senior shortstop Brittany Younan.
- The Sooners loaded the bases again in the fourth on back-to-back two-out singles and a walk, but Morrow made the out at second to keep the deficit at one run.
- BU nearly tied the game in the fifth on a two-out double by junior Madi Killebrew, but the Sooners managed to throw senior Alex Heinen out at home on an 8-5-2 play.
- Oklahoma's defense broke down in the sixth following Morrow's lead-off single with a pair of errors that allowed the Terriers to tie the game.
- Sahlinger delivered what proved to be the game-winning run on a sacrifice fly to center that plated junior Alexa Ponce from third.
- Annerino limited Oklahoma to a walk in each of the last two innings to claim the stunning victory.
GAME ONE: BALL STATE 6, BU 5
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Killebrew and Heinen opened the game with back-to-back doubles to grab a 1-0 lead.
- The Cardinals struck back in the bottom of the first with four runs off three hits, including a three-run homer by Maddy Labrador against freshman Ali Dubois.
- Morrow and freshman Marina Sylvestri singled in the top of the second to set up Younan's sacrifice fly.
- The Terriers retook the lead in the fifth with three runs off Younan's single, a hit-by-pitch and two Cardinal errors.
- After being held scoreless over three innings by Dolfi, the Cardinals finally got to her in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run homer by Janae Hogg.
- BU's best chance to tie the game came in the sixth following Younan's one-out triple, but Ball State induced two pop ups to end the threat.
DOUBLEHEADER NOTES
- The Terriers met Oklahoma for the first time since a 14-4 (5) season-opening loss in 2015 ... BU's lone win against the Sooners (4-2) occurred in 1993.
- Morrow went a combined 4-of-7 with three runs scored to lead the offense.
- Now owning three triples this season, Younan moved into a tie-for-sixth all-time in the record book at 11 total.
NEXT UP: NEW MEXICO STATE
- BU will wrap up the Troy Cox Classic against host New Mexico State on Sunday (Feb. 18) at 11 a.m. ET.
- The Aggies are receiving votes in the most recent national poll after winning last weekend's series against then-No. 17/13 Kentucky.
- The teams last met in 2004 with the Terriers sweeping a doubleheader at Las Cruces, 5-0 and 12-8.