Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirl Softball Falls to Texas in Nine Innings, 4-3
May 10, 2008 | Cowgirl Softball
The Cowgirls scored two runs in the top of the first on just one hit. Mariah Gearhart led off the game with a walk and was safe at second when Katelyn Bright laid down a sacrifice bunt. Alysia Hamilton hit a line drive into left field, scoring Gearhart. With Bright on third, Megan Castle laid down a squeeze bunt to score Bright.
Cowgirl starter Anna Whiddon went 4-2/3 innings without allowing a base hit before Johnson hit a two-run blast over the left field foul pole, tying the score at 2-2. Freshman Sarah Odom replaced Whiddon in the circle who struck out five but walked six.
With two outs in the top of the sixth, Cowgirl freshman Ashley Boyd hit a solo homer into a stiff wind over the left-centerfield fence, giving OSU a 3-2 lead.
After consecutive three-up, three-down half innings, Kori Cook led off the bottom of the seventh with a infield single. After a strikeout and a ground out to the pitcher, Johnson hit a short hopper to Odom in the circle. Odom underhanded the ball to first for the apparent out. However, Heather Kim committed her first error of the season in 342 chances when she dropped the ball. Cook scored from second on the play to tie the game at three runs apiece.
"I liked how we kept fighting in this game," said OSU head coach Rich Wieligman. "We came back and hit a home run to retake the lead. Where the game got tied (in the seventh inning) was tough. I think that play could have happened a hundred times and that would be an out a hundred times. It's tough that one play can change the game like it did."
A scoreless eighth led to the ninth inning when UT starting pitcher Meagan Denny, who threw a complete game, sat down the Cowgirls in order. Back-to-back singles by Johnson and Tallie Thrasher, along with a sacrifice bunt by Kelly Melone, put runners at second and third with one out. Gaskin's sacrifice fly ended the game and Oklahoma State's season.
The Cowgirls finish the year with a 26-25 record and lose just two seniors to graduation. Texas improved to 28-20-2 overall and will face Texas A&M in Saturday evening's semifinal game at Don E. Porter/ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.
Texas 4, Oklahoma State 3 (9 innings) OSU 200 001 000 - 3 9 1 UT 000 020 101 - 4 8 0 Anna Whiddon, Sarah Odom (5) and Ashley Boyd. Meagan Denny and Kacie Gaskin. WP: Denny (20-8). LP: Odom (8-6). HR: UT-Johnson (11); OSU-Boyd (3). Time-2:32. Attn-1,638.
