OSU Softball: No. 3 Cowgirls Clinch Series Victory over No. 6 Florida State

STILLWATER — The Cowgirls struggled to muster any offense through five innings, but when that door cracked open, they kicked it down.

Oklahoma State beat Florida State 3-2 on Sunday in the series rubber match between the two Top 10 teams. True freshman (should-be high school senior) Tallen Edwards led off the bottom of the sixth with a single to center — and the spree was on.

Kiley Naomi moved Edwards to third with a single up the middle. Edwards scored off a Micaela Wark groundout that moved Naomi to second. Naomi then scored off a Katelynn Carwile double through the left side before Chyenne Factor kept it going with a single to left center that scored Carwile. After being down 1-0 for about two hours, the Cowgirls were all of a sudden up 3-1 and Florida State had only three outs to get back into it.

TURN ME UP KATELYNN CARWILE.

B6 | FSU 1 – OSU 2#AllOne | @katecarwile | 📺 ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/ReTa7eIuZf

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) March 12, 2023

The Seminoles nearly found a way back into it, though. The seventh started with back-to-back FSU singles before Lexi Kilfoyl made way for Kelly Maxwell. A sac bunt moved the runners into scoring position with one out before Kaley Mudge singled, scoring one but the other runner was held up at third. Maxwell then forced a pop up to first base before a groundout back to her to secure the series.

Carwile came into the day hitting .327, which is outstanding for most teams in the country, but OSU isn’t most teams in the country. She was dropped from the starting lineup in OSU’s last two games of the OSU/Tulsa Invitational last weekend. Entering Sunday, she was 0-for-3 against Florida State in the series before going 3-for-3 on Sunday with a run score, an RBI and the wickedest bunt Cowgirl Stadium has ever seen.

Katelynn Carwile literally doing magic on this bunt 🪄

B2 | FSU 1 – OSU 0#AllOne | @katecarwile | 📺 ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/cN1BxD2YcL

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) March 12, 2023

“She’s a tough kid,” OSU coach Kenny Gajewski said. “When you take kids out of the lineup, it sucks. I hate it, especially when it’s not like she’s gone bad for a long time. But I think at times it’s good for a reset. It’s good to go through all that. She answered because she’s a tough kid and she’s prepared and she’s done the things that she needs to.”

Kilfoyl’s line finished having thrown six innings where she gave up two runs off three hits while walking six and striking out seven.

The Cowgirls move to 20-2 on the season with seven of those wins coming against ranked opponents. They’ll next be in action Wednesday against Central Arkansas in Conway.

Kenny Gajewski’s Postgame News Conference