Wichita State softball headed south Tuesday night to Norman, Okla. to play the No. 18 ranked Sooners in a double-header. They lost 3-0 and 9-1.

“It’s a great experience to play a top 20 ranked team like that and we played well as a team,” freshman pitcher Jenni Brooks said.

In the first game of the series, Wichita State kept up with the Sooners keeping them scoreless in four of their five innings at bat. University of Oklahoma was able to score three runs in the bottom of the third inning, which turned out to be all the runs they needed.

The Sooners scored their three runs on starting pitcher Sloan Anderson before Brooks took the mound allowing only one more hit the rest of the game.

“Oklahoma is a great hitting team and defending national champions,” Brooks said. “It was a great feeling to keep Oklahoma to one hit once I came in.”

Wichita State was shut out in the first game despite having the same amount of hits as Oklahoma (six) and two more runners reaching base than the Sooners.

“I am really happy with our hitting,” said head coach Kristi Bredbenner. “We matched them hit for hit. I’m happy with our bats, but the good thing is you see that you can compete with a top program.”

WSU threatened in the top of the fifth inning when Cacy Williams doubled and was then batted to third on a single from Kelli Spring.  Unfortunately no runs came of it and WSU fell to Oklahoma 3-0.

“I’ve been working on seeing the ball all the way and staying short to the ball,” Williams said. “I’ve been focused on hitting my pitch and not the pitchers.”

In the second game of the double-header WSU jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning when Paige Luellen advanced to third base on a sacrifice bunt, scoring on a throwing error.

The WSU defense produced two quick outs in the bottom of the second, but after OU’s Leslie Miller walked and Macey Hatfield singled to left field, Javen Henson homered to give OU a 3-1 lead heading into the third inning.

Despite a double by Williams in the third inning, WSU was out of the fourth inning recording just one hit. Oklahoma was able to ride the momentum from the Henson home run and added four more runs on four hits to extend their lead to 7-1.

WSU was unable to score once again in the fourth inning, while Oklahoma scored on a two RBI double from Miller.

After a final attempt for the Shockers to score runs on Oklahoma failed, the game was called with the end score in favor of the Sooners.

“Even though we played OU this week and recorded a couple loses they’re probably the best team to prepare us for the rest of the season,” Bredbenner said. “They’ve got good pitching and good hitting and it’s great that we got to focus in on that because that is exactly what we’ll see this weekend.”

Wichita State returns home this weekend April 12 -13 for a three-game series against Northern Iowa with the first game starting at noon on Saturday.