Cowgirls Fall to Longhorns, 6-3

April 2, 2011

Stillwater, Okla. -- Chelsea Garcia hit a leadoff home run in the bottom of the second and Julie Ward hit her 11th of the season, a two-run shot in the fifth, but Oklahoma State's 19th-ranked softball team fell to eighth-ranked Texas 6-3 here Saturday afternoon before 448 fans at Cowgirl Stadium.

The Longhorns scored early, putting together three hits in the top of the first as Brejae Washington scored on a base hit by Lexy Bennett. Garcia tied the game in the bottom of the second with her solo shot to lead off the inning.

Texas added three more runs in the third, two off back-to-back solo homers by Bennett and Amy Hooks. Nadia Taylor followed with a base hit to center and scored all the way from first on a single by Torie Schmidt.

Bennett scored her second run of the game in the fifth. After a leadoff single, she made it to third on a pair of outs, then scored on a single by Schmidt up the middle, giving UT a 5-1 lead.

Cowgirl left fielder Ari Morrison reached on an error with one out in the bottom of the frame, and with two outs, Ward hit her opposite-field homer, her school-record 31st career bomb, cutting the lead to two at 5-3.

The Longhorns added an insurance run in the sixth when Taylor Thom, who reached on a base hit, scored on a pinch-hit double by Karina Scott. OSU pitcher Kat Espinosa came on in relief of starter Simone Freeman, and struck out three of the six batters she faced.

Garcia went 2-for-3 in the game with the home run, her eighth of the season, and a double following Ward's homer in the fifth.

Oklahoma State (29-8 overall, 1-2 Big 12) will host the Longhorns (30-3, 3-0) in the series finale on Sunday at noon.

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Players Mentioned

Kat Espinosa

Simone Freeman

Chelsea Garcia

Ari Morrison

Julie Ward

Oklahoma State University Athletics