Cowgirls Extinguish Flames, 1-0

Friday, March 4

Stillwater, Okla.

6:00 PM

Oklahoma State University

Illinois-Chicago

Ashley Boyd knocked in the only run of the game Friday night, a single that scored Julie Ward.

March 04, 2011 | Cowgirl Softball

March 4, 2011

Final Stats

Stillwater, Okla. -- Cowgirl sophomore Kat Espinosa threw her third shutout of the season and Oklahoma State's 19th-ranked softball team defeated Illinois-Chicago 1-0 here Friday evening in the first round of The Preview Featuring Bedlam tournament.

The Cowgirls scored their only run of the game in the bottom of the second inning. With two outs, senior catcher Ashley Boyd hit an RBI single through the left side, scoring cleanup hitter Julie Ward from third. Ward led off the inning with a base hit to centerfield. After a sacrifice bunt by Tamara Brown and a walk issued to Chelsea Garcia, both base runners moved up on a ground out by Sammy Jo Diffendaffer.

Oklahoma State had other opportunities to put runs on the board. With one out in the third, Ari Morrison and Alysia Hamilton had back-to-back singles. However, a pair of groundouts to first base ended the threat. Garcia led off the fourth with a walk, but was stranded at second. With one out in the sixth, Garcia hit a single up the middle and Diffendaffer followed with a hit by pitch. But, Boyd grounded into a double play to end the inning. In all, OSU left seven runners on base.

Espinosa improved to 8-0 on the year, scattering three hits while walking one and striking out five. Hamilton went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles while Garcia went 1-for-1 with two walks and a base hit.

The Cowgirls (14-3) will play a pair of games on Saturday at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City. OSU will face 24th-ranked Auburn on 12:30 pm bedlam-rival Oklahoma at 6 pm.