OSU Softball: Cowgirls Complete Sweep against Texas Tech with 6-4 Win

BOX SCORE

STILLWATER — After a tough weekend in Ames, the Cowgirls returned home and put a hurting on the Red Raiders.

Oklahoma State beat Texas Tech 6-4 on Sunday at Cowgirl Stadium to complete a series sweep where OSU outscored Tech 30-7. That comes a weekend after the Cowgirls scored just 12 runs against the Cyclones — 10 of which came in the Sunday game that OSU won.

“That feels really good,” OSU coach Kenny Gajewski said. “We have some people that are going well and that were really going well and kinda hit a wall, and then they’re back at it doing well. It’s good to see. It’s fun to be able to score runs and to be able to get a lot of people in these games, too.”

The Cowgirls were matching what inning they were in during the early part of Sunday’s game, putting up a run in the first, two in the second and three in the third.

Jilyen Poullard started the scoring. After earning a leadoff walk, Poullard advanced to second on a Tallen Edwards sacrifice bunt. Poullard then moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on another wild pitch.

Lexi McDonald continued her emergence with an RBI double in the second inning that scored pinch runner Tia Warsop. A sophomore from Silo, McDonald went 4-for-6 from the plate this weekend.

Firing on all cylinders 💥

Lex brings home the speedy @tia_warsop to tack on another run for the Pokes 📈#GoPokes | @leximac_1 pic.twitter.com/r4I5rckOKK

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) April 21, 2024

Not long after, Poullard brought McDonald home with a single that Poullard advanced to second on during the throw.

Jil wanted in on the action 🥳#GoPokes | @jilyenpoullard pic.twitter.com/kEaLL9NaiX

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) April 21, 2024

McDonald also provided a sacrifice fly in the third, securing another RBI.

OSU earned three straight walks to start that third, which brought up Micaela Wark. Wark drew six walks this weekend, but not on this occasion. A redshirt sophomore, Wark doubled off the wall in left-center, scoring a pair and setting up McDonald’s sac fly.

Extending the lead.

A MicDouble brings in ✌️ more runs for the Cowgirls 🤠#GoPokes | @micaela_wark https://t.co/32QRYhygN6 pic.twitter.com/BMwqC9yFls

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) April 21, 2024

The Cowgirls ran into a bit of trouble from there, as the Red Raiders didn’t go quietly into the cool wind that was blowing across the stadium. Tech put up a pair of runs in the fourth and one each in the fifth and sixth. Texas Tech had the go-ahead run at the plate when Lexi Kilfoyl put an end to things by forcing a groundout in the top of the seventh.

Ivy Rosenberry started in the circle for OSU. She threw five innings, giving up three runs on six hits while walking two and striking out three. The win pushed the senior from Virginia to 13-3 on the year. Kilfoyl came in for the final two innings, earning her third save of the year. Kilfoyl gave up one run on three hits.

So, OSU bounced back from its first Big 12 series loss last weekend. OSU will play a midweek game against North Texas at 6 p.m. Wednesday in Cowgirl Stadium before hosting Kansas next weekend for a three-game series that starts at 6 p.m. Friday.

“I think that’s what good teams do — you have the option, you can go into the tank after losing to Iowa State or you can continue to fight and figure some things out,” Gajewski said. “This is hard. You gotta be OK with the hard part. Feel very good about that.

“The mark of our program, I think, in my time here is being able to get out of things. Even last year when we had a stretch and it was ugly, we still were able to jump out of that and keep fighting. So, I think that’s a mark of a really good team.”

Kenny Gajewksi’s Postgame News Conference