Cowgirls Fall to Cyclones in Series Finale

Sunday, March 25

Stillwater, OK

12 P.M. CT

Oklahoma State University

23-8, 2-1

Iowa State

18-18, 1-2

Iowa State

Oklahoma State

Photo by: OSU Athletics

March 25, 2018 | Cowgirl Softball

Box Score

STILLWATER – The No. 23 Oklahoma State softball team dropped the third matchup of a weekend series against Iowa State, 5-4, in 12 innings on Sunday at Cowgirl Stadium.

OSU (23-8; 2-1 Big 12) is now 1-2 in extra-inning contests this season.

"Well obviously it's a bitter pill and it just goes to show you how tough it is in this conference to sweep," head coach Kenny Gajewski said. "Sundays in any conference are tough. I kind of feel like this one is on us though, to be honest. Us as a coaching staff and me - the buck stops with me. I got Logan (Simunek) out of that game one pitch too late. It was going through my mind and I just didn't act on it.

"The swings that their two-hole kid was taking off of her - I knew it in my gut and saw it. I told Jeff (Cottrill) "Let's make a change" and on the first pitch she hits a home run. This one is on me. I feel like I let our kids down."

The Cowgirls led the from the get-go after Madi Sue Montgomery tripled home Taylor Lynch in the Cowgirls' first at-bats of the day. OSU extended the gap over the next five innings as Montgomery and Lynch hit a pair of home runs that saw the Cowgirls head to the top of the seventh with a 4-1 lead.

Iowa State was able to cut into the deficit with an early solo home run in the seventh. A dropped ball in right field with two outs then provided the Cyclones with another chance to tie, and they would capitalize with a two-run shot that knotted the game at 4-4. The two-run home run was the final pitch of the day for starter Logan Simunek, and Samantha Clakley came on to pitch the final 5.1 innings of Sunday's matchup.

Clakley pitched well in relief of Simunek, but the one run she surrendered in the top of the 12th - a solo home run to left - proved to be the difference maker in the contest. Prior to Iowa State's go-ahead home run, Oklahoma State had plenty of chances to put the game to bed in extra innings.

In the home half of the eighth inning, the Cowgirls scrapped their way to a two-out, bases-loaded situation, but a pop out to the shortstop neutralized the threat. OSU did the same in the bottom of the 11th inning, this time putting a trio of Cowgirls on base with no outs, but again the Cowgirls were unable to capitalize.

"We didn't play and we didn't hit like we're capable of," Gajewski said. "And credit them because I thought their kid was really good. To leave 14 runners on base and to not score with the bases loaded and no outs, for this team, is unacceptable in my mind. We'll get better at this and learn. These kids are tough and resilient and we've got a big week ahead."

Gajewski and the Cowgirls will quickly shift gears as they face Wichita State on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in Stillwater before heading to Lubbock, Texas, for a three-game set against Texas Tech. Tuesday's matchup against the Shockers will air on FOX Sports Plus with Casey Kendrick and Alli McCutcheon on the call, while the Cowgirls contests in Lubbock will be played on Thursday, Friday and Saturday due to Easter Sunday.