Stormin in Norman
Fansided

Oklahoma Softball: Sooners shocked at home in NCAA Regional

By Chip Rouse

Nov 28, 2015; Stillwater, OK, USA; An Oklahoma Sooners fan in the crowd against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Boone Pickens Stadium. The Sooners defeated the Cowboys 58-23. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 28, 2015; Stillwater, OK, USA; An Oklahoma Sooners fan in the crowd against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Boone Pickens Stadium. The Sooners defeated the Cowboys 58-23. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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As further evidence that the NCAA Championship is a brand new season in which anything can happen, the defending national-champion Oklahoma softball team, perhaps the hottest team in the country coming into the postseason, lost its opening-round NCAA Regional game on Saturday, playing at home, to a team with a losing season record.

The sixth-ranked Sooners, the No. 10 national seed in the 2017 NCAA Championship, were upset 3-2 by North Dakota State in a continuation game that was suspended from Friday night when severe storms washed out the game after half an inning.

The loss dropped the Sooners into the losers bracket in their host regional.

North Dakota State got on the scoreboard first with two quick runs in the first inning on Friday afternoon before inclement weather moved in. That 2-0 advantage held up until the bottom of the sixth inning, when, with two out and two on, OU sophomore Fale Aviu delivered a two-hit single through the left side of the infield to tie the game at 2-2.

With one out in the ninth inning, senior Macey Hatfield, the Sooner left fielder, playing in the shortstop position in a defensive shift, mishandled a ground ball allowing North Dakota State shortstop Montana DeCamp to reach base. A sacrifice bunt moved the runner into scoring position at second base, and the next Bison hitter, catcher Tabby Heinz, stroked a sold single to center, driving in DeCamp with what proved to be the winning run.

North Dakota State pitcher retired the three hitters in the middle of the Oklahoma lineup in the bottom half of the ninth, and the Bison finished off the improbable upset.

North Dakota State pitcher Jacquelyn Sertic pitched a complete game, allowing seven Oklahoma hits and retiring the side, facing just three Sooner hitters, in seven of the nine innings.

Junior Paige Parker started the game for OU, with Paige Lowary coming on in relief in the fifth inning. The hit by Heinz was the only one Lowary surrendered in 4 1/3 innings of work.

Oklahoma had seven hits in the game to just four for North Dakota State.

The North Dakota State win – its second all-time against the Sooners in Norman in an NCAA Regional game –  marked the first time since 1985 that a defending national champion has lost in its opening game in the NCAA Championship the following year.

Several other streaks were halted by the North Dakota State win. Oklahoma had won 27 of its past 28 games coming into the contest and were winners of 16 consecutive NCAA Regional games and 20 of the last 21. It also is the first time in 48 games that the Sooners have outhit their opponent and lost.

Oklahoma, the best fielding team in the Big 12 and one of the ten best in the nation this season, committed an uncharacteristic two errors in the game, the last of which led to the winning run.

The Sooners will next play Arkansas, which lost to Tulsa 5-4 on Friday, in an elimination game on Sunday. If they win that game, they will play a second game later on Sunday against the loser of a game between North Dakota State and Tulsa.

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