Cowgirls Get Series Win At Kansas

Saturday, May 7

Lawrence, KS

2:00 PM

Oklahoma State University

27-22, 6-9

Kansas

28-20, 5-9

Oklahoma State

Kansas

May 07, 2016 | Cowgirl Softball

Box Score

LAWRENCE, KAN. – Oklahoma State softball blasted three home runs on its way to an 11-9 win over Kansas to secure the series win at Arrocha Ballpark on Saturday.

Freshman Taylor Lynch's home run in the top of the fifth might have been the biggest for the Cowgirls. Trailing 9-7, Lynch's three-run blast gave OSU a 10-9 lead it wouldn't give up down the stretch.

With the win, Oklahoma State (27-22 overall, 6-9 overall) extended its winning streak to five games and earned its first conference series win on the road since 2011.

"It's big," Coach Kenny Gajewski said. "It's big for us. This group has continued to do things we haven't done in a long time. We got the early lead here then gave it up. I just knew if we could hang around here we'd have a chance. Just had some great at bats and Shea Coats was really good."

The Cowgirls got the start they were looking for thanks to an RBI single from freshman Madi Sue Montgomery to give them a 1-0 lead after one.

Oklahoma State continued the scoring effort in the third with four runs thanks to RBIs from Lynch, Montgomery and junior Kristin Reasnor to give Oklahoma State a 5-0 lead.

The Jayhawks (28-20, 5-9) responded with four runs of its own in the third to cut the lead to 5-4.

Sophomore Vanessa Shippy's home run in the fourth extended the Oklahoma State lead to 7-4.

Kansas scored five in the bottom of the fourth to take a 9-7 lead before Lynch's three-run home run gave the Cowgirls the lead again the following inning.

"Really didn't have my best day to begin with," Lynch said. "Just told myself if she leaves a pitch up in the zone I'm going to try to get it out and give my team the lead and it happened to work out that way and it felt great. That win is huge and it's awesome."

Senior Michaela Patton hit her first home run of the year in the top of the seventh to extend the Oklahoma State lead to 11-9 before Junior Shea Coats shut the Jayhawks down in the bottom of the inning to get the win.

Coats earned the win for the Cowgirls, going 3.2 innings in relief while allowing just one run and hit.

Oklahoma State had standout performances from Lynch and Shippy at the plate. Lynch went 1-for-5 with four RBIs while Shippy finished 3-for-3 with two RBIs and a wak.

The Cowgirls will now go for the series sweep tomorrow.

"We're trying to get ourselves in position for postseason play," Gajewski said. "Like I told them, every win it just gets bigger. So (tomorrow) is a big game. It's the biggest game we've played all year. We just have to come out here and be us."
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Up Next: Oklahoma State concludes its three-game set with Kansas tomorrow in Lawrence. First pitch is set for 11 a.m.