Cowgirl Softball Falls to Texas Tech, 8-4

Monday, April 20

Stillwater, Okla.

5:30 PM

Oklahoma State University

19-27, 0

Texas Tech

21-24, 0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Texas Tech	0	3	1	0	0	2	2	8	12	1
Oklahoma State	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	4	4	0

April 20, 2015 | Cowgirl Softball

Box Score

April 20, 2015

STILLWATER, Okla. – Despite racing out a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, the Oklahoma State softball team dropped its sixth-consecutive game on Monday, falling to Texas Tech, 8-4, at Cowgirl Stadium.

With a pair of first-inning runs, the Cowgirls (19-27, 3-9) took their first lead of the series with the Red Raiders, but were unable to control the TTU offense, which pounded out 22 runs over the course of the three-game set.

""It was good to see us come out strong at the start, but that's not the way we wanted to end the series," head coach Rich Wieligman said. "All three games, it felt like everything they put a bat on was finding a hole. That's just the way this game can be sometimes, though, and we've got to learn to deal with that."

Oklahoma State's hot start began with a lead-off walk from Shelby Davis, who used her signature set of aggressive baserunning skills to put the Cowgirls ahead early on. After taking first, Davis stole second, advanced to third on the throw and came around to score on a wild pitch from TTU starter Chandler Moore.

Two batters later, Tiffany Mikkelson delivered her 11^th home run of the season, a towering solo shot over the wall in right-center. The two first-inning runs knocked Moore out of the contest, and put the Cowgirls ahead, 2-0, after one.

Oklahoma State starter Brandi Needham also came out firing, retiring three of the first four TTU batters she faced. However, a pair of two-out base-hits in the second from Brooke Scott and Jordan Bettiol helped the Red Raiders take a 3-2 lead.

Texas Tech tacked on another score in the top of the third, but the Cowgirls would provide an immediate answer, thanks to some timely hitting from junior Danielle Riddle. With two outs in the bottom of the frame, Riddle capitalized on a bases-loaded situation with a seeing-eye single through middle, scoring Davis and Shianne Hughes to knot the score up at four runs apiece.

Both offenses came to a halt in the fourth and the fifth, but the TTU bats would eventually break the tie in the sixth, as Kristi Belshe provided a two-run single through the left side of the infield. Texas Tech then added to its lead in the seventh, using a two-out base-hit from Bettiol to take an 8-4 advantage into the final frame. All eight of the Red Raiders' runs came with two-out situations.

The result gives Texas Tech their first sweep over the Cowgirls since 2010. Going into the weekend, Oklahoma State had taken three of the last five series against the Red Raiders.

Offensively, Oklahoma State was led by Davis, who finished with a base-hit, a walk and a pair of runs scored. The senior also posted her 45^th stolen base of the season, leaving her only seven shy of setting a new school record.

The Cowgirls will to return to action on Wednesday, as the Cowgirls host in-state rival Oklahoma at Cowgirl Stadium. The contest will begin at 6:30 p.m.