Cowgirls Clinch Fourth-Straight Series Victory

Saturday, April 13

Ames, IA

1 P.M. CT

Oklahoma State University

30-11, 8-2

Iowa State

23-16, 1-6

Oklahoma State

Iowa State

April 13, 2019 | Cowgirl Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

AMES, Iowa – The No. 14 Oklahoma State softball team clinched its fourth-straight Big 12 series victory Saturday, as the Cowgirls defeated Iowa State twice, 12-3 and 6-3, in the Hawkeye State.

OSU (31-11; 9-2 Big 12) has now won 10 of its last 11 conference series, dating back to the start of Big 12 play last year. The Pokes have also recorded at least nine victories in their first 11 conferences games in each of the past three seasons under coach Kenny Gajewski.

"Obviously, I thought it was a really good first game. We gave away some at-bats early in that game, but about the fourth or fifth (inning), we really started to change the way we approached things," Gajewski said. "Michaela (Richbourg) had a great day. (Rylee) Bayless was outstanding today and it was good to see her just continue to square up balls and create havoc on the basepaths. Another series win, and now we've got to finish the job out here tomorrow."

Sophomore Michaela Richbourg was the primary offensive supplier Saturday, as she belted three home runs in three consecutive trips to the plate across the two games.

Richbourg first launched a solo home run in the fourth inning of the opener to give OSU a 2-1 advantage and its first lead of the day. The Broken Bow, Oklahoma, native followed it up with a grand slam to straightaway center - the first of her career - in the top of the fifth. Her grand slam put the Cowgirls in prime position to earn a run-rule win over the Cyclones.

The grand slam was part of a 10-run inning for Oklahoma State, and all 10 of those runs were scored before the Cowgirls recorded an out. It was the most productive outless run for the Pokes since they scored a Power 5-best 14 runs before recording an out against Omaha last March.

Richbourg's long-ball display continued in the first inning of game two, when she hit a towering solo home run that snuck inside the left-field foul pole. The sophomore has now hit 11 home runs this season and is just two off Samantha Show's team lead.

Her moonshot was the second Cowgirl homer of game two's opening frame, as she followed Madi Sue Montgomery's two-run effort in back-to-back fashion. Montgomery's blast to right was a welcome one for the Cowgirl senior, as it snapped a 22-game homerless streak and made her just the third player in school history to hit at least 30 home runs (35 - Tiffany Mikkelson, 32 - Julie Ward).

Oklahoma State also got a gargantuan effort from Rylee Bayless out of the leadoff spot Saturday.

The redshirt-senior went 6-for-8 across both games, scored twice, drove in two runs and swiped her 12th base of 2019. Bayless has now posted four three-hit games this season, three of which have come in her last eight games. The Pokes are 10-0 when Bayless records multiple hits this season.

In the circle, the Samantha's handled the 12-inning load, with Samantha Show going the distance in the opener and Samantha Clakley doing the same in the second half of the doubleheader.

Show's complete-game effort was her 12th of the season, and Saturday's was the first time she has allowed more than two earned runs in a complete game. The right-hander's record now stands at 13-5 for the year.

Clakley, meanwhile, tossed seven innings against the Cyclones, allowing two earned runs and striking a career-best eight batters. The senior's previous best strikeout total was seven against Texas last April, and Saturday's effort marked her 10th time throwing seven innings during her two seasons at Oklahoma State.

OSU will look to clinch its second-straight Big 12 sweep on Sunday, when the Cowgirls and Cyclones face off against at 1 p.m.

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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.