OSU Softball: Cowgirls Fall To Kansas

The Oklahoma State softball team provided a dramatic back-and-forth battle in its Big 12 home opener on Thursday, but was unable to come out on top of a 7-6 defeat at the hands of No. 23 Kansas.

The Cowgirls (17-19, 1-3) held a 4-0 lead after the first five innings and a 6-5 lead after six, but fell victim to the Jayhawks' gritty offensive attack, which scored each of its seven runs over the final two frames.

“This team continues to fight, but we've got to fight harder,” head coach Rich Wieligman said. “Brandi Needham started off great in the circle, but KU started to find some holes there in the sixth, and that ended up being the difference maker.”

Needham was dominant throughout the first half of the contest, as she allowed only one base-hit over the first five innings. After shutting out 13th-ranked Baylor on Sunday, the sophomore looked to be headed toward another masterful effort thanks to the Cowgirls' four-spot in the bottom of the first.

Oklahoma State came out hot from the start, as Shelby Davis led off with a walk, stole second and advanced to third on a bunt single from Shianne Hughes. Minutes later, Tiffany Mikkelson lined a single to left to score Davis and put the Cowgirls on top, 1-0.

In the next at-bat, freshman Vanessa Shippy crushed a 2-0 pitch over the centerfield wall, extending OSU's lead to 4-0. The three-run shot was Shippy's third of the season, and her first since hitting a solo shot against IPFW on Feb. 27.

The Cowgirls' hot start came against KU starter Alicia Pille, who came into Thursday's matchup with a 18-2 record and a 2.27 ERA. After allowing four runs in the first, though, Pille retired the 11-consecutive batters, keeping the Cowgirls scoreless through the fifth.

With Oklahoma State leading, 4-0, the KU bats caught fire in the sixth, as the Jayhawks pounded out five runs eight hits. The visiting side opened the inning with eight-consecutive base hits, leading to a 4-4 tie and a depleted OSU defense. With the bases loaded and one out, Shippy nearly turned a grounder to second into an inning-ending double play, but was unable to catch Erin McGinley at first, leading to the go-ahead run for the Jayhawks.

Despite the massive momentum shift, the Cowgirls fought back to retake the lead in the bottom of the inning, beginning with Danielle Riddle's two-out single to left. In the next at-bat, Michaela Patton fell behind to a 1-2 count, but battled against Pile to force a full count and eventually blast a two-run shot that narrowly eclipsed the wall in left. The two-run shot was Patton's first in an OSU uniform, and helped the Cowgirls take a 6-5 advantage into the top of the seventh.

Needham forced a quick out to open the frame, but fell into a hole after allowing a one-out double to Lily Behrmann. It would prove to be costly, as the Jayhawks then produced back-to-back hits to run out a 7-6 lead and end Needham's night in the circle. With two on and one out, Kansas sat in position to tack on extra damage, but Jessi Haffner came in and retired the next two batters to keep the deficit at one.

The Cowgirls wouldn't go down without a fight in the deciding frame, as Davis knocked a one-out single up the middle to put the tying run on base. Hughes advanced Davis to second with a grounder to second, bringing Mikkelson to the plate with a chance to extend the contest. However, the Cowgirl slugger flew out to right, clinching a one-run victory for the visiting Jayhawks.

Overall, six Oklahoma State's starting lineup recorded base-hits, led by Hughes' multi-hit effort. Davis' stolen base in the first inning pushed her season total to 40, bringing her within 12 of setting a new school record.

The Cowgirls will look to even the series in tomorrow's contest, which is set to begin at 5:30 p.m. at Cowgirl Stadium.