Oklahoma State University Athletics
Bases Loaded: Cowgirls Take Third-Straight Series From No. 9 Texas
April 01, 2019 | Cowgirl Softball
STILLWATER -Â It was a wild week for the Oklahoma State softball team, but a successful one as well, as the Cowgirls amassed a 3-1 record against Wichita State and No. 9 Texas over the last seven days.
The Pokes started the week off with a come-from-behind win against the Shockers in Wichita Wednesday night, 9-6, and then carried that momentum into a pivotal conference series against the Longhorns in Stillwater. It was OSU's first action on its home turf since March 6, but the Cowgirls did not disappoint, as they won the first two games by a combined 9-0 tally to clinch their third-straight series win over the Longhorns.
Sunday's finale didn't go entirely as the Cowgirls had hoped, but we stop to take a look back at the week that was before switching gears toward week nine:
FIRST BASE: Toppling Top-10 Texas
This past weekend's series in Stillwater was huge as far as the Big 12 standings are concerned, as OSU now holds a tiebreaker over the top-10 Longhorns should it come down to it at the end of the year.
OSU's series victory marked the third-straight time the Cowgirls have bested the Longhorns in a three-game set. The Pokes swept the Longhorns at Cowgirl Stadium two years ago, took two of three in Austin last year and then produced the same result against a revitalized Texas team in Stillwater over the weekend.
Friday and Saturday's win over the Cowgirls' top-10 foe marked the first time OSU had won back-to-back games against a top-10 team since they defeated then-No. 6 Texas on May 3 and May 4 back in 2013. It was also the first time OSU shutout a top-10 team in back-to-back games since blanking then-No. 7 Oklahoma in both halves of a doubleheader on April 13, 1994.
The Cowgirls have played 12 games against the Longhorns during Kenny Gajewski's tenure as head coach, and only one of those games has been decided by more than three runs. That lone effort was the Pokes' 8-0 run-rule triumph Saturday night at Cowgirl Stadium.
OSU has won seven of its last nine matchups against UT, including a stretch of four straight in the middle of that dominant spell. It is the most successful spell for an OSU team throughout its long-time rivalry with Texas, and that four-game winning run - which was snapped in Sunday's series finale - marked the longest winning run by a Cowgirl squad in series history.
SECOND BASE: Long-Ball Extravaganza
Oklahoma State loves to hit the long ball.Â
The Cowgirls currently rank second in the Big 12 with 50 home runs hit in just 36 games this season. Prior to the current coaching staff's arrival in Stillwater, OSU had never hit 50 home runs in a season. Now, they've done it three times since Gajewski and Co. took the reins.
OSU has 15 games remaining on its regular season schedule. Couple that with the three the Pokes will likely play at the Big 12 Championship, add in some more for the NCAA Tournament and the chances are high that the Cowgirls once again shatter the program's single-season home run record.
Last year, the Pokes set the bar with 62 home runs in 61 games. Their current 1.39 HR/G average is on pace to blow by last year's total and there's still plenty of softball to be played.
Samantha Show leads all Cowgirls with 10 home runs so far this season. She hit a pair against No. 9 Texas this past weekend, and is the 15th player in school history to record double-digit home runs in a single season.
Behind her, Sydney Pennington and Michaela Richbourg both have eight, Chyenne Factor has hit six and three others have logged at least four home runs this year.
It has been festival of fireworks from the Cowgirl bats so far in 2019, and the show is likely only going to continue as the competition continues to heat up down the stretch.
THIRD BASE: Clakley Finding Her Groove
Samantha Clakley seems to have found her groove in the circle recently and it has been a major benefit to the Oklahoma State pitching staff in recent weeks.
Clakley is coming off one of her best weeks as Cowgirl, as she tossed seven shutout innings and allowed only four hits in that time to a potent Wichita State offense and a top-10 Texas squad that has scored with the best of them this season.
The right-hander tossed a five-inning complete game during OSU's series-clinching win against No. 9 Texas Saturday night, marking her first shutout of a top-10 team during her two seasons in Stillwater. Clakley limited the Longhorns to a season-low three hits and struck out three in her dominant outing.
The senior also notched her first save of the season Wednesday night with a two-inning relief effort during OSU's comeback win at Wichita State.
Her 2.02 earned run average is the best on staff currently, and should her form hold, she'll be a candidate to see an increased workload in the coming weeks.
HOME PLATE: Battling to Be Better
If there's one positive thing that comes from losing the last game of a strong week (and we promise, we're digging for any silver lining here) is that it can reset a team's focus on the next goals ahead.
The one thing great coaches and players harp on is that there's always room for improvement. Sometimes though, when everything is going your way, that message can get lost among the success.
Sunday's loss to No. 9 Texas in the series finale was a bit of a palate cleanser for Oklahoma State.
It was still a strong weekend overall, but now the Cowgirls have something to look back on and say, 'We can still get better.'
That effort to get better begins today, as the Pokes start preparing for a midweek matchup at UT Arlington before hosting Kansas in a three-game set at Cowgirl Stadium over the weekend. Four more games line the schedule this, and all of them will present their own unique challenges.
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The Pokes started the week off with a come-from-behind win against the Shockers in Wichita Wednesday night, 9-6, and then carried that momentum into a pivotal conference series against the Longhorns in Stillwater. It was OSU's first action on its home turf since March 6, but the Cowgirls did not disappoint, as they won the first two games by a combined 9-0 tally to clinch their third-straight series win over the Longhorns.
Sunday's finale didn't go entirely as the Cowgirls had hoped, but we stop to take a look back at the week that was before switching gears toward week nine:
FIRST BASE: Toppling Top-10 Texas
This past weekend's series in Stillwater was huge as far as the Big 12 standings are concerned, as OSU now holds a tiebreaker over the top-10 Longhorns should it come down to it at the end of the year.
OSU's series victory marked the third-straight time the Cowgirls have bested the Longhorns in a three-game set. The Pokes swept the Longhorns at Cowgirl Stadium two years ago, took two of three in Austin last year and then produced the same result against a revitalized Texas team in Stillwater over the weekend.
Friday and Saturday's win over the Cowgirls' top-10 foe marked the first time OSU had won back-to-back games against a top-10 team since they defeated then-No. 6 Texas on May 3 and May 4 back in 2013. It was also the first time OSU shutout a top-10 team in back-to-back games since blanking then-No. 7 Oklahoma in both halves of a doubleheader on April 13, 1994.
The Cowgirls have played 12 games against the Longhorns during Kenny Gajewski's tenure as head coach, and only one of those games has been decided by more than three runs. That lone effort was the Pokes' 8-0 run-rule triumph Saturday night at Cowgirl Stadium.
OSU has won seven of its last nine matchups against UT, including a stretch of four straight in the middle of that dominant spell. It is the most successful spell for an OSU team throughout its long-time rivalry with Texas, and that four-game winning run - which was snapped in Sunday's series finale - marked the longest winning run by a Cowgirl squad in series history.
SECOND BASE: Long-Ball Extravaganza
Oklahoma State loves to hit the long ball.Â
The Cowgirls currently rank second in the Big 12 with 50 home runs hit in just 36 games this season. Prior to the current coaching staff's arrival in Stillwater, OSU had never hit 50 home runs in a season. Now, they've done it three times since Gajewski and Co. took the reins.
OSU has 15 games remaining on its regular season schedule. Couple that with the three the Pokes will likely play at the Big 12 Championship, add in some more for the NCAA Tournament and the chances are high that the Cowgirls once again shatter the program's single-season home run record.
Last year, the Pokes set the bar with 62 home runs in 61 games. Their current 1.39 HR/G average is on pace to blow by last year's total and there's still plenty of softball to be played.
Samantha Show leads all Cowgirls with 10 home runs so far this season. She hit a pair against No. 9 Texas this past weekend, and is the 15th player in school history to record double-digit home runs in a single season.
Behind her, Sydney Pennington and Michaela Richbourg both have eight, Chyenne Factor has hit six and three others have logged at least four home runs this year.
It has been festival of fireworks from the Cowgirl bats so far in 2019, and the show is likely only going to continue as the competition continues to heat up down the stretch.
THIRD BASE: Clakley Finding Her Groove
Samantha Clakley seems to have found her groove in the circle recently and it has been a major benefit to the Oklahoma State pitching staff in recent weeks.
Clakley is coming off one of her best weeks as Cowgirl, as she tossed seven shutout innings and allowed only four hits in that time to a potent Wichita State offense and a top-10 Texas squad that has scored with the best of them this season.
The right-hander tossed a five-inning complete game during OSU's series-clinching win against No. 9 Texas Saturday night, marking her first shutout of a top-10 team during her two seasons in Stillwater. Clakley limited the Longhorns to a season-low three hits and struck out three in her dominant outing.
The senior also notched her first save of the season Wednesday night with a two-inning relief effort during OSU's comeback win at Wichita State.
Her 2.02 earned run average is the best on staff currently, and should her form hold, she'll be a candidate to see an increased workload in the coming weeks.
HOME PLATE: Battling to Be Better
If there's one positive thing that comes from losing the last game of a strong week (and we promise, we're digging for any silver lining here) is that it can reset a team's focus on the next goals ahead.
The one thing great coaches and players harp on is that there's always room for improvement. Sometimes though, when everything is going your way, that message can get lost among the success.
Sunday's loss to No. 9 Texas in the series finale was a bit of a palate cleanser for Oklahoma State.
It was still a strong weekend overall, but now the Cowgirls have something to look back on and say, 'We can still get better.'
That effort to get better begins today, as the Pokes start preparing for a midweek matchup at UT Arlington before hosting Kansas in a three-game set at Cowgirl Stadium over the weekend. Four more games line the schedule this, and all of them will present their own unique challenges.
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Friday, June 05
Friday, May 29
Wednesday, May 27
Monday, May 18
