NORMAN, Okla. – Abilene Christian softball collected four base hits in an 8-1 loss to the defending national champions from Oklahoma and were no-hit by Missouri State's Holly Kelley in an 8-0 defeat Sunday at OU's Courtyard Marriott Tournament at Marita Hynes Field.
Kelley's no-hitter lasted 6.0 innings and 99 pitches as she struck out six batters for her fourth victory of the season. She retired the first seven batters she faced with her bid for perfection spoiled on a walk to third baseman
Katelyn Belch, who later swiped second base before being stranded in scoring position.
Kelley retired another eight consecutive batters before Belch reached on a leadoff error in the sixth. Belch, however, would be erased from the base paths on a game-ending 5-4-3 double play as the Bears clinched the run-rule total earlier that frame thanks to runs scored by Erika Velasquez Zimmer and Hailee Vigneaux.
The Wildcats reached base a few more times against three Oklahoma pitchers in the second game of their doubleheader but only mustered one run of support for pitcher
Hannah Null, who struck out two batters through 104 pitches and 6.0 innings.
ACU scored its lone run of the day in the second inning on
Kennedy Ratliff's RBI double that scored
Holly Neese, but Oklahoma, which already jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first, got that run back in the second, and scored four additional times between the third and fourth innings.
Null was sharp in her final two innings of work in retiring the final six batters she faced, getting one strikeout, two ground balls and three fly outs.
The Wildcats play host to their first home games this week when they welcome Bowling Green to Poly Wells Field Tuesday for a 4 and 6 p.m. doubleheader.
