Cowgirls Advance with 6-1 Win over Tennessee

Saturday, May 21

Knoxville, Tenn.

1:00 PM

Oklahoma State University

39-17

Tennessee

48-11

Oklahoma State

Tennessee

Kat Espinosa has not allowed an earned run in 13 innings at the NCAA Regional Tournament.

May 21, 2011 | Cowgirl Softball

Box Score

May 21, 2011

Final Stats

Postgame Quotes in PDF format

Knoxville, Tenn. -- Alysia Hamilton went 3-for-3 with a single, double and a home run, and Kat Espinosa continued to pitch well as Oklahoma State's 22nd-ranked softball team defeated the No. 5 Tennessee Lady Volunteers 6-1 here Saturday afternoon in the winner's bracket of the NCAA Regional Tournament. OSU is one win away from advancing to the NCAA Super Regional.

Oklahoma State struck first, scoring in the first inning for the 21st time this season. After being hit by the first pitch of the game, leadoff hitter Mariah Geahart stole second and scored on a double by Hamilton. Tamara Brown made the game 2-0 in the top of the second, walking, moving to second on a sacrifice bunt and scoring on a double by Sammy Jo Diffendaffer.

Hamilton made the score 3-0 in the Cowgirls' favor when she led off the fifth inning with a home run, her sixth of the season and the 15th of her career.

The Volunteers (48-11) got on the board in the bottom half of the frame. With two outs and after a walk issued to pinch hitter Tory Lewis, leadoff hitter Raven Chavanne reached on an error. Kat Dotson followed with a double to right field, scoring Lewis with an unearned run.

The Cowgirls blew the game wide open in the sixth, scoring three runs on three walks and two singles - an RBI-single by Hamilton and a two-run single by Chelsea Garcia. OSU scored six runs off Tennessee ace Ellen Renfroe, the most given up by the freshman hurler this season. Her previous high was four runs scored by No. 2 Georgia and fourth-ranked Florida.

Cowgirl sophomore Kat Espinosa allowed one unearned run on seven hits in six innings, striking out six while walking just one. She has not allowed an earned run in 13 innings during the regional tournament, and improved to 22-7 on the season.

With the win, Oklahoma State (39-17) advances to the regional championship game on Sunday afternoon at 2 pm (1 pm CT). The Cowgirls will play the winner of tonight's elimination contest and will have two opportunities to win one game on Sunday.