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OSU Softball: Cowgirls Rally to Defeat No. 19 Baylor Bears in Big 12 Opener

A duel between aces went the Cowgirls’ way.

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2 months ago

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[Devin Wilber/PFB]

The Cowgirls decided to start Big 12 play with some drama.

No. 4 Oklahoma State defeated No. 19 Baylor 4-1 in eight innings on the road Friday night, but OSU had to mount a dramatic comeback to do so. The win moved the Cowgirls to 19-2 on the season and 1-0 in conference action.

The three-run eighth inning by the Cowgirls’ offense will earn the clicks, but it was an epic pitching duel between two aces that decided this one.

OSU’s Lexi Kilfoyl moved to 8-2, pitching all eight innings and allowing just two hits, one run and walking two Bears while striking out six.

Baylor’s Aliyah Binford came in leading the Big 12 in strikeouts and added eight more Ks to her lead. When she left the game, the Bears were up 1-0. She was on her way to a shutout, allowing just three hits and no walks while striking out six Cowgirls in five innings. She should have stayed on the bench.

After being spelled for the sixth and Baylor still up 1-0, Binford returned to the mound for the final two outs of the seventh, but that’s when the Cowgirls finally found the scoreboard. The Cowgirls tied things up at 1-1 in the seventh with Tia Warsop scoring thanks to a Megan Bloodwort grounder. That kept the Cowgirls alive and set up for the dramatic finish.

Then Claire Timm cranked a two-run game-winner over right field in the eighth to put the Cowgirls up 3-1 with just one out. It was her fourth moonshot of the season.

Then a Rosie Davis RBI extended the lead to 4-1.

In the bottom of the eighth, it was up to Lexi to go in for the Kil, but Megan went for Blood.

(Bad pun explanation: The Cowgirls locked up the win with a double play by Bloodwort).

“Really fun softball game to be a part of tonight,” OSU coach Kenny Gajewski said. “Very proud of our kids, the way we fought through. We didn’t look very good early.”

Gajewski mentioned the hard field that contributed to the Cowgirls’ three errors but emphasized the need to tough it out and that tenacity is what allowed them to earn a tough road win and start Big 12 play with W.

“Lexi kept us in the game all game long,” Gajewski said. “Was incredible. That’s what an ace does, fun to watch.”

Next Up

The Cowgirls and Bears will reconvene at 2 p.m. Saturday for Game 2 of the weekend series in Waco.

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