Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
9-13
Wichita State
15-9
Cowgirls' Furious Comeback Bid Comes Up Short
March 11, 2015 | Cowgirl Softball
March 11, 2015
STILLWATER, Okla. - The Oklahoma State softball team nearly overcame a nine-run deficit against Wichita State on Wednesday, but was eventually defeated, 11-8, in a high-scoring thriller at Cowgirl Stadium.
"Tough game tonight, but it was great to see our girls battle back the way they did," head coach Rich Wieligman said. "We got down big, but we turned it into a ballgame. Our girls never gave up, though, and that's definitely a positive moving forward."
Both squads combined for 19 runs and 26 hits, but the final score didn't reflect the first four innings, which were marked by a pitching duel between Oklahoma State's Brandi Needham and WSU's Katie Malone. Needham showed signs of dominance through the first half of the contest, including a five-pitch inning in the third that ended with the Cowgirl starter striking out Layne Greenlee on three-straight pitches.
Needham continued her fantastic start in the fourth, as she downed the first two WSU batters on two-straight pitches. However, the Shockers would finally break the scoreless tie on Melanie Jaegers' solo home run in the following at-bat, putting WSU up, 1-0.
The Wichita State lead wouldn't last long, though, as the Cowgirls responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the frame. Tiffany Mikkelson, hitting a blazing .571 over the last five games, got the green light on a 3-0 pitch and sent it deep to center for her fifth home run of the season.
The Cowgirls (9-13) breezed through the first two outs of the fifth, but a two-out error on a high chopper to short turned out to be a huge momentum shift for the Shockers. After the blunder, nine-consecutive WSU batters reached base, as the visiting side used six hits and three walks to push across nine two-out runs.
Despite falling down by a margin of 10-1, Oklahoma State began to cha away in the following frame. Shianne Hughes knocked in Miranda Cavin with a single to left, and came around to score on Mikkelson's single up the middle.
In the sixth, the Cowgirls kept at it, as Maddi Holcomb scored on Miranda Cavin's RBI groundout and Dre McKee crossed the plate on Shelby Davis' infield single. Jessi Haffner, who relieved Needham in the fifth, contributed the comeback by allowing only one earned run in 2.1 innings of work. With an inning left in the books, Oklahoma State trailed, 10-6, but the battle was far from over.
The Shockers tacked on an insurance run in the top of the seventh, but Holcomb's leadoff single in the bottom of the frame kept the Cowgirls' rally alive. After a double from Darcy Taylor, Gessenia DeLaCruz stepped to the plate and launched a two-run double into left center, bringing home both Taylor and Holcomb. The senior's big hit put the Cowgirls within three, but WSU eventually sealed the victory by forcing consecutive fly outs from Cavin and Davis.
Several Cowgirls had big nights at the plate, including Davis, who finished 4-5 with four infield singles and a stolen base. Hughes and Holcomb each had multi-hit efforts, and Mikkelson pushed her team-leading RBI count to 21 with her solo shot and an RBI single.
The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Cowgirls, who will look to bounce back in a three-game set against Arkansas-Pine Bluff this weekend. The squads kick off the series with a doubleheader on Saturday, set to begin at 5 p.m. at Cowgirl Stadium.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Malone, Katie (8-4)
L: Needham, Brandi (5-4)
Batting:
2B: Fortner, Brittany 1 ; Jaegers, Melanie 1
HR: Jaegers, Melanie 1
RBI: Fortner, Brittany 2 ; Spring, Kelli 1 ; Wright, Mackenzie 1 ; Broyles, Liz 1 ; Williams, Cacy 1 ; Jaegers, Melanie 3 ; Johnson, Ashley 1
SH: Spring, Kelli 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Fortner, Brittany 2 ; Wright, Mackenzie 1 ; Broyles, Liz 1 ; Williams, Cacy 1 ; Carney, Erin 1 ; Jaegers, Melanie 2 ; Greenlee, Layne 1 ; Johnson, Ashley 2
Batting:
2B: Taylor, Darcy 1 ; DeLaCruz, Gessenia 1
HR: Mikkelson, Tiffany 1
RBI: Davis, Shelby 1 ; Hughes, Shianne 2 ; Mikkelson, Tiffany 2 ; DeLaCruz, Gessenia 2 ; Cavin, Miranda 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hughes, Shianne 1 ; Mikkelson, Tiffany 1 ; Holcomb, Maddi 2 ; McKee, Dre 1 ; Taylor, Darcy 1 ; DeLaCruz, Gessenia 1 ; Cavin, Miranda 1
SB: Davis, Shelby 1 ; Mikkelson, Tiffany 1
CS: Davis, Shelby 1 ; Shippy, Vanessa 1
