In a Friday night showdown between top-five teams, it was No. 4 Oklahoma State who looked like the superior team in Norman, taking down second-ranked Oklahoma 6-3 in relatively stunning fashion.
After all, Oklahoma hadn’t lost to Oklahoma State in Norman since 1997 and its just the second regular season loss that the Sooners have dropped to OSU since 2012.
The Cowgirls were absolutely dominant in the circle, holding Oklahoma batters to just 3-of-24 (.125) at the plate and just 2-of-14 (.143) with runners on base.
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Meanwhile, the Pokes went 7-for-27 at the plate with six extra base hits and four of their six runs coming via home run. Oklahoma State’s batter appeared to be very well prepared for what Oklahoma had to offer in the circle, especially against their top two options.
Sooners’ ace Kelly Maxwell drew the start for Oklahoma but struggled against her former squad, going just 4.0 IP with four hits and three earned runs allowed. She recorded three strikeouts and two walks on the day. Kierston Deal entered the game in relief of Maxwell in the fifth, but struggled mightily in just 0.2 IP, giving up two home runs and three runs total, giving Oklahoma State an insurmountable 6-2 lead with just two frames to go. Karlie Keeney would come in and close for the Sooners, recording one strikeout and allowing no runs and no hits in 2.1 IP.
Meanwhile, Kenny Gajewski opted to start Kyra Aycock and gave her 3.0 IP, which she played well in, allowing just one hit and two earned runs. She did register six walks to Sooner batters, and Gajewski decided to turn to Lexi Kilfoyl after three innings. Kilfoyl was excellent over 3.1 IP, allowing just two hits with no earned runs.
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The win gives Oklahoma State a 1-0 lead in the series, but more importantly in the conference race, it opened the gate for Texas to take the lead, which they promptly did on Friday evening with a 13-3 win over Texas Tech.
What’s Next
Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will play Game 2 of the series on Saturday, with first pitch scheduled at noon CT. With a win, Oklahoma State would secure the No. 2 seed, at worst, and would also close out Oklahoma’s chance to win the regular season title.
Meanwhile, Texas can now win the Big 12 by completing a sweep of Texas Tech this weekend. The Longhorns and Red Raiders will start Game 2 of their series at 1:00 p.m. CT on Saturday.
