Fourth-Inning Rallies Power Cowgirls to Saturday Sweep

Saturday, February 16

Clearwater, FL

12 p.m. CT

Oklahoma State University

6-3

California

4-4

California

Oklahoma State

Photo by: OSU Athletics

February 16, 2019 | Cowgirl Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

PDF Box Score - California
PDF Box Score - Hofstra

CLEARWATER, Florida – The No. 20 Oklahoma State softball team used a pair of fourth-inning rallies to sweep its final two games of the St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational Saturday, besting California, 4-1, in the opener and Hofstra, 13-2, in six innings.

OSU (7-3; 0-0 Big 12) scored 10 combined runs in its two fourth innings Saturday, tallying all four of its runs against the Golden Bears in that frame and six against the Pride in the second half of the doubleheader.

"I just told our team that I was very happy with the way that we came out here today and played," coach Kenny Gajewski said. "We beat a really good Cal team, got down and came back to score those four runs. I'm just excited about the way they're going about their business each day. I thought (Samantha) Show threw really good and we got the big home run from Madi Sue (Montgomery). I think that will really help propel her season.

"Then to come out here and take care of the second game with the venue change and some stuff that we're not used to, I'm proud of the way we handled that. We had really good at-bats, and I thought that Gabby (Sprang) threw well. We threw the ball around some and she gave us a ton of ground balls. Overall, she threw well and we just opened it up in the later innings. I thought we really swung the bats well."

The Cowgirls found themselves in an early hole in both games, allowing Cal to score one in the first inning and Hofstra tacking on a pair of unearned runs in the opening frame.

Against the Pride, Oklahoma State flipped the game in its favor with a six-run fourth inning that was jump-started by a trio of doubles from Samantha Show, Madi Sue Montgomery and Michaela Richbourg. The Cowgirls took their first lead of the game in that inning with an RBI single up the middle from Sydney Pennington, and then two more singles from Rylee Bayless and Kiley Naomi made it a 6-2 scoreline through four.

OSU added seven more runs in the top of the sixth to put the Cowgirls in position for their first run-rule win of the year.

Montgomery, Pennington and Taylor Lynch all drove in multiple runs in the seven-hit, seven-run sixth, which stands as OSU's best offensive output in an inning so far this season.

Gabby Sprang and Logan Simunek combined to limit Hofstra to three hits Saturday evening, with Sprang pitching four innings and Simunek the final two. Neither pitcher gave up an earned run against the Pride, as Sprang moved to 2-0 on the year and Simunek earned her second save of the season.

The pitching staff was helped by some outstanding defensive work in the field, led by Madi Sue Montgomery.

The senior infielder helped turn two double plays, including an unassisted effort when the Cowgirls found themselves in a bases-loaded, no-outs jam in the bottom of the fifth. She has now been a part of 30 double-play efforts during her OSU career, good for solo fifth in the Cowgirl record book.

Montgomery was also a key spark-plug for the Pokes in Saturday's opener, as her solo home run against Cal tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth inning. It was Montgomery's first home run of the year and the 26th of her career.

Following Montgomery's laser to right field, OSU tacked on three runs with two outs on the board thanks to an infield error and Rylee Bayless' two-RBI bloop single to left center.

In the circle, senior Samantha Show was dominant after settling in against California.

After surrendering the game's opening run, she retired the last 14 batters she faced to limit the Golden Bears to just the one score on three hits in a complete-game effort. Show's second complete game of the season pushed her record to 2-1 as a pitcher through two weeks of action.

The Cowgirls will now rest up over the next few days as they begin preparations to compete in the 2019 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic next weekend in Cathedral City, California. OSU will take on Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado State, North Carolina and San Diego State in the prestigious tournament, beginning with the Sun Devils on Thursday, Feb. 21.

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Oklahoma State is proud to celebrate more than 40 years of rich softball tradition and its 20th season of play at Cowgirl Stadium this year. To renew or purchase your season tickets for the 2019 campaign, visit okstate.com/tickets or call the OSU ticket office at 877-ALL-4-OSU.