May 4, 2003
Box Score | Photo Gallery | Celebration Photos | All-Tournament Team
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- Top-seeded Texas became the first team to repeat as Big 12 Softball Tournament champion thanks to a 1-0 victory over No. 4 seed Oklahoma in the title game Sunday afternoon at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.
Senior second baseman Lindsay Gardner provided the offense with a two-out, fifth-inning RBI double that plated pinch runner Tiffany Anders, and sophomore pitcher Cat Osterman supplied the defense with a brilliant two-hit shutout. Osterman struck out 10 batters and walked none to record her third shutout of the tournament and 15th of the year. She did not allow a run in 26.0 innings of tournament work and upped her season record to 26-4.
OU's Kami Keiter, pitching her fifth game of the tournament, gave up five hits and two walks while striking out five in 6.0 innings to fall to 29-7. Texas' run was unearned.
The Longhorns, now 43-7, will host an NCAA Regional in two weeks. Oklahoma, owner of a 42-12 mark, will hit the road for regional play. Both teams will be trying to advance to the Women's College World Series at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium May 22-26.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
Cat Osterman earned tournament MVP honors after going 4-0. She gave up seven hits and three walks in 26.0 innings while striking out 44 batters and allowing no runs. The sophomore has been named tournament MVP both of her years and is 8-0 all-time in the Big 12 Tournament.
Texas became the first school to win Big 12 softball regular season and tournament titles in consecutive years.
Total attendance for the tournament was a record-setting 7,580.
QUOTES
Texas Head Coach Connie Clark
On winning the Big 12 Tournament title:
"I'm proud of the team. I think we are beginning to improve day in and day out. To come out and do some of the things we did, even in the regular season, and then to come out and win the tournament against all of the good quality competiton. Throughout the tournament we had different people step up and get it done. Again, that builds confidence. We were tired today and luckily we kept winning, so I think we had the upper hand. I know Oklahoma had to play earlier today and you feel for them. I don't know if we could have gone another day. I'm excited that we were able to put that behind us and give it everything we had. We can rest now for a little bit and we need it."
On getting back to Oklahoma City for the World Series:
"I think our club would be disappointed if we're not back here. We're going to see quality competition with the other teams in the tournament. We're going to have seven other teams at our site and no doubt there will be quality teams there. We have to take care of business. I really feel like this group and staff would be really upset if we weren't back here in two weeks."
Oklahoma Head Coach Patty Gasso
On the game:
"I was proud of our effort this weekend but it still hurts. They (the players) hurt. They really fought hard. We took the long road to get here. We took the blue collar approach and we came out and played very hard. What I like is how we did this and knowing that this will help us in the regional. This whole thing excites me because that is what it takes to get back to the World Series. We are going to feel the pain for a couple days but we have got to move forward because the big picture is getting back to the World Series."
On Kami Keiter's pitching performance:
"I am so proud of her and really feel for her because she threw her guts out. She threw well enough to win and just gave up one big hit.
On Texas' Cat Osterman:
"We did a better job against Cat Osterman today - much better than we did against her the first time. We had a few opportunities but we are just not capitalizing on them when we need them. That is the sign of a good pitcher. Shutting down the opposing team is those situations."