Cowgirls Squeak Past Jayhawks, 3-2

Saturday, April 9

Stillwater, Okla.

2:00 PM

Oklahoma State University

31-9, 2-3

Kansas

27-13, 0-9

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Kansas	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	2	0
Oklahoma State	0	0	0	0	3	0	X	3	8	0

Senior Alysia Hamilton hit a two-run home run, propelling OSU to a 3-2 victory over Kansas.

April 09, 2011 | Cowgirl Softball

Box Score

April 9, 2011

Final Stats

Stillwater, Okla. -- Oklahoma State scored three runs on two homers in the bottom of the fifth, and the 21st-ranked Cowgirls held off the Kansas Jayhawks for a 3-2 victory here Saturday afternoon at the Cowgirl Softball Complex. OSU improved to 31-9 overall and 2-3 in Big 12 Conference action.

The game was scoreless through 4-1/2 innings due to some fine pitching by starters Kat Espinosa for Oklahoma State and Kansas' Kristin Martinez. The Cowgirl hurler faced the minimum number of batters through the first four innings, allowing just one walk which was later erased by a double play. She hit two batters in the fifth, but didn't give up her first hit of the game until there were two outs in the sixth when Maggie Hull hit a double off the wall in right field.

With one out in the bottom of the fifth, leadoff hitter Mariah Gearhart hit a solo home run over the fence in left field, her second of the season. Alysia Hamilton followed a base hit by Ari Morrison with her fifth homer of the year, giving OSU a 3-0 lead.

Kansas rallied in the top of the seventh. Espinosa hit Brittany Hile with a pitch before issuing a walk to Kendra Cullum. Pinch hitter Kelsey Alsdorf hit a line shot, dropping just in front of Tamara Brown in centerfield and scoring Hile. Freshman Simone Freeman came in to pitch for the Cowgirls and Cullum scored from third on a wild pitch. Freeman forced Ingle to fly out to left field and Allie Clark, in her first at-bat of the season, popped up to Ashley Boyd behind the plate in foul territory to end the game.

Gearhart went 3-for-3 with two bunt singles, a walk and the home run. Espinosa went 6-1/3 innings and picked up her 17th win of the season, improving to 17-4. Freeman picked up her second save of the year.

OSU and the Jayhawks (27-13, 0-9 Big 12) will play the series finale on Sunday at 1 pm.