Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
UC Santa Barbara
Cowgirl Softball Splits Two in California
March 16, 2012 | Cowgirl Softball
March 16, 2012
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.—The Oklahoma State softball team beat UC-Santa Barbara 7-2 and lost to San Jose State 1-0 in nine innings in the first day of the Gaucho Classic II on Friday afternoon. Junior pitcher Kat Espinosa threw her third no-hitter of the season against SJSU and tallied 11 strikeouts. The pitching staff combined for 21 strikeouts on the day.
Oklahoma State (14-10) won their second game of the day against UC-Santa Barbara (10-19) by a score of 7-2. Tamara Brown led the Cowgirls at the plate going 4-for-4 with two doubles and a run batted in. Julie Ward tagged on two more RBIs as did fellow senior Chelsea Garcia. Kelsey Anchors and Shelby Davis scored two runs each. Sophomore Simone Freeman picked up her fifth win of the season after throwing six innings, allowing five hits for one earned run and striking out 10.
The Cowgirls have gone into extra innings five times in 2012 and lost their first one against San Jose State 1-0 in nine innings. Despite the loss, Espinosa still threw a no-hitter. She threw 8-2/3 hitless innings, allowing just two base runners off a walk and a hit-by-pitch. Two other base runners were allowed because of errors.
After neither team scored in the first seven, the game went into extra innings where the international tie-breaker rule was put into effect and a runner started at second at the beginning of each half inning. In the bottom of the ninth, SJSU's runner on second advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. After an error, walk and a strikeout, the Spartans had the bases loaded with two outs. After a grounder wasn't fielded by the Cowgirls, the runner scored and San Jose State won 1-0.
The Cowgirls will play again tomorrow morning 11 a.m. (CST) San Jose State and again at 1:15 p.m. (CST) against UC-Santa Barbara.
