Thirteenth-seeded Arizona (38-18) will have to sweep Saturday’s doubleheader to continue its season after fourth-seeded Oklahoma (49-8) defeated the Wildcats 6-0 on Friday in Norman, Okla.
Arizona recorded seven hits and had runners in scoring position in each of the three first innings but could not score against Oklahoma star pitcher Keilani Ricketts. UA did not have an extra-base hit in the game.
Ricketts struck out nine and walked just one in improving to 32-8 on the season.
Arizona starter Shelby Babcock allowed six runs on eight hits in the loss. Babcock (21-10) walked four, hit three and struck out six.
Brigette Del Ponte (2 for 3) was the only Wildcat with more than one hit and now had nine hits in 12 postseason at-bats.
Oklahoma had four extra-base hits against Babcock, including solo homers by Ricketts and Katie Norris.
Oklahoma opened the scoring in the first when Babcock’s first pitch of the game struck Georgia Casey and UA misplayed Destinee Martinez’s sac attempt, putting runners on first and second with nobody out. Lauren Chamberlain rocketed a ball to the left-centerfield gap to score both.
Arizona had runners at first and second with one out in both the first and second innings, but could not score. In the first, Lini Koria grounded into a double play, and in the second, Ricketts struck out the final two batters of the frame.
The Sooners scored again in the second, loading the bases on two hit batters and a single. Chamberlain then drove in her third run by drawing a bases-loaded walk.
The Sooners finished off the Wildcats with single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth.
Arizona loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh on a single, an error and a walk, but Ricketts struck out Lini Koria to end the game.
The best-of-three series continues Saturday at 9 a.m. (Pacific time). If Arizona wins, the deciding game would follow at 11:30 a.m. The games will be televised by ESPN.
