Cowgirls Run Rule Syracuse, Walk-Off McNeese

Friday, March 1

Stillwater, OK

3:30 p.m. CT

Oklahoma State University

11-5

Syracuse

5-10

Syracuse

Oklahoma State

March 01, 2019 | Cowgirl Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

PDF Box Score - Syracuse
PDF Box Score - McNeese State
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STILLWATER – The No. 21 Oklahoma State softball team swept its Friday doubleheader, besting Syracuse, 8-0, in five innings and walking off McNeese State, 3-2, in the nightcap, to open its 20th season of play at Cowgirl Stadium.

OSU (12-5; 0-0 Big 12) is now off to its best start since 2011, when the Cowgirls started 14-3 in their first 17 games before making the program's seventh appearance in the Women's College World Series at the season's end.

"The bottom line is winning games, so it was a good day," coach Kenny Gajewski said. "It was cold for everyone. The bottom line is we won both games. I thought we pitched very, very well. We've been doing that here. Our defense was better until that last game. We just have to make plays. The pitching was really good, the hitting in the first game was really good. The hitting in the second game - not so good - but the bottom line is that we won two."

Oklahoma State welcomed home former three-time All-American and current Syracuse assistant coach Vanessa Shippy back to the park in its 2019 home opener, and opened up its 20th season of play at Cowgirl Stadium since the stadium was reopened in April 2000.

The Cowgirls 8-0 victory was a quick start to their home slate, and all of their offense came in on the back of an explosive two-out rally in the bottom of the third.

Sydney Pennington and Taylor Lynch both recorded RBI doubles in the third inning, followed by a series of bases-loaded walks and wild pitches to bring the next set of Cowgirl runs around to score. Samantha Show polished off the eight-run inning with a two-run single back up the middle, making it an 8-0 game through three.

Show handled starting duties in the circle against Syracuse Friday afternoon, pitching a five-inning complete game shutout - her second shutout of the season. The senior struck out four and walked just one in a dominant outing that saw Show earn her fourth win of the year.

In the nightcap, Raquel Dominguez provided the walk-off shot in the bottom of the seventh with a long single down the left-field line that scored Taylor Tuck from third. The single secured the doubleheader sweep a half inning after McNeese tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the seventh.

Saturday's walk-off hit came at the opposite end of a fiery start for the Cowgirl offense against McNeese State, as Rylee Bayless opened the game with a first-pitch solo home run to straightaway center. It was her second home run of the season.

In the circle, Logan Simunek allowed just one earned run off a solo home run in the second inning. She anchored down after that though, retiring 15 of the next 16 batters she faced before the seventh inning. The right-hander improved to 4-2 in the circle with her seven-inning gem Friday night.

The Cowgirls will continue their first home weekend of the season tomorrow with the second day of the OSU/Tulsa Invitational. OSU will take on McNeese State and Northern Iowa beginning at 1 p.m. CT - 90 minutes prior to what was previously scheduled for Saturday's action.

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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 tickets for the 2019 campaign, visit okstate.com/tickets or call the OSU ticket office at 877-ALL-4-OSU.