Cowgirls Run-Rule No. 9 Texas to Clinch Series

Saturday, March 30

Stillwater, OK

7:30 p.m. CT

Oklahoma State University

26-9, 4-1

Texas

30-8, 4-2

Texas

Oklahoma State

March 30, 2019 | Cowgirl Softball

Box Score

STILLWATER – The No. 21 Oklahoma State softball team erupted for eight runs in a five-inning victory over No. 9 Texas to clinch the series victory Saturday night at Cowgirl Stadium. The Pokes' 8-0 victory was their seventh win over the Longhorns in the teams' last eight meetings.

OSU (26-9; 4-1 Big 12) has shutout Texas in both of the series' first two games, marking the only two times this year the Longhorns have been shutout. It is the first time OSU has shutout a top-10 opponent in back-to-back games since blanking No. 7 Oklahoma twice in a doubleheader on April 13, 1994.

"I thought we played very, very well and I thought Samantha Clakley and her performance really set the tone for us," coach Kenny Gajewski said. "We just kind of rallied off her, but it was good to see (Rylee) Bayless and (Samantha) Show have unbelievable days against top arms. I've been saying it for a while, but I feel like this team is really good. I know that, but I think our girls are starting to believe that and understand how good they can be."

Oklahoma State opened the scoring quickly with two scrappy runs in its first trip to the plate.

Rylee Bayless sparked the inning with a leadoff single back up the middle through Texas starter Shea O'Leary's legs. Samantha Show laid down a bunt single on the next pitch, and Bayless took third on the play. The redshirt senior came home to score shortly after tagging third base as Madi Sue Montgomery dropped a sacrifice bunt to drive in her team-best 33rd run of the season.

With two outs in the inning, Taylor Lynch hit a soft grounder to short, but the throw was wide at first, allowing Lynch to reach safely and Show to dart home and score the second run of the inning.

The Pokes came back in the second inning and sent Cowgirl Stadium into a frenzy as Rylee Bayless blasted a two-run shot off the light pole in right center, and Show followed her with a solo shot off the same light pole immediately after. Bayless now has four home runs this year and Show leads all Cowgirls with nine.

OSU secured its run-rule victory with two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, with Bayless supplying the walk-off shot on a deep single to left field. Bayless and Show combined to go 6-for-6 out of the top two spots in OSU's lineup, driving in five runs and scoring five times between them.

"I felt like I had a rough first game and, obviously, I was 0-for-3 last night," Bayless said. "I went home last night and watched my at-bats with my parents. There were easy fixes. We hit early today and I just had the right mindset. I just wanted to go out there and swing the bat."

In the circle, Samantha Clakley continued a dominant stretch as one of the Cowgirls' top arms on staff.

She tossed five shutout innings, allowing only three hits and striking out a trio of Longhorns in that time. Clakley's 2.02 earned run average is now tied with Show for the top mark among the Cowgirls this season.

OSU will look to secure its second series sweep of Texas in Stillwater tomorrow afternoon when the Cowgirls and Longhorns square off once again. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. CT on Fox Sports Plus.

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