Softball has become a tradition of excellence at the University of Oklahoma thanks to four consecutive Women's College World Series appearances and a 2000 national title.
Unfortunately, the four year journey for OU's senior softball players came to an end Saturday at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City after a 5-2 loss to defending national champion Cal.
OU sophomore starting pitcher Kami Keiter pitched every game for the Sooners in this year's WCWS and took the loss Saturday after giving up five runs, only three of them earned, in a complete seven innings of work.
"We gave it a good fight and Kami came out and did an incredible job," OU head coach Patty Gasso said. "She had to send the game into the seventh inning. It seems like we get beat in the seventh inning, at least in this tournament against Washington and Cal."
In that seventh inning, the Golden Bears were leading 3-2 when Keiter walked Cal's Kaleo Eldredge. Chelsea Spencer then took Keiter over the left field fence to put the Golden Bears up by three.
The Sooners were unable to answer in the bottom of the seventh and OU was headed home to Norman.
OU seniors Kelli Braitsch, Leah Gulla, Erin Evans and Jennifer Stump were all on the 2000 championship team and ended their careers with Saturday's loss.
"Our seniors went out with a bang in this tournament," Gasso said. "I am proud of them and the effort of this team. Our goal was to be standing on Sunday and we just came up a little short."
Braitsch has been a contributor to the Oklahoma line up ever since her freshman season.
"I will remember our never-say-die attitude," Braitsch said. "We were on a losing streak in the Women's College World Series and we just came out and kept fighting. We knew that if we were going down, we were going down with a fight."
Oklahoma fell in its first game to Washington on Thursday, then rallied to beat Alabama Saturday morning in order to reach the evening elimination game against Cal.
The Golden Bears went on to faced UCLA in the championship game on Monday and were no-hit by the Bruins' Keira Goerl in a nine-inning 1-0 loss.
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