Cowgirl Softball Splits Pair Of Games On Opening Day

Friday, February 10

Baton Rouge, LA

11:00 AM

Oklahoma State University

1-0

McNeese State

1-1

OKLAHOMA STATE

McNeese

February 10, 2017 | Cowgirl Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

BATON ROUGE, La. ---- Oklahoma State Softball split a pair of games Friday on opening day of the 2017 season at Tiger Park. The Cowgirls defeated McNeese State, 5-1, in the season opener but dropped game two, 14-2, in five innings to tournament host and No. 5 LSU.

"I thought we got off to a great start with our first game," head coach Kenny Gajewski said. "We had a lot of really good performances. I thought Brandi was really strong in her first outing of the year. She just really competed, throwing strikes, it was fun to watch. We got to see a lot of our returners have some nice games and some of our new kids, like Rylee Bayless. I thought she was really good. She jumped out there and really showed why she was one of the top kids."

Oklahoma State (1-1) started the 2017 season as well as it could have hoped against McNeese State.

The Cowgirls struck first in the second inning, when junior Jessi Haffner drove in junior Rylee Bayless with a two-out triple. Haffner finished the game with a pair of RBIs. Bayless made the most of her Cowgirl debut going 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

After McNeese State tied the game at 1-1, OSU responded with four singles and aggressive base running in the fourth inning. The Cowgirls plated three runs to take a 4-1 lead.

Sophomore Taylor Lynch brought home junior Taylor Pence in the seventh to give the Cowgirls the eventual 5-1 lead it wouldn't surrender.

At the plate, Lynch and Bayless both had two hits. Seven different Cowgirls got a hit in the game.

The Cowgirls got a strong outing from senior Brandi Needham (1-0). She went five innings, struck out six and only allowed a run. Sophomore Whitney Whitehorn pitched two scoreless innings to close out the game for the Cowgirls.

Bayless led Oklahoma State offensively going 2-4 with two RBIs. Haffner shined at the plate going 1-for-3 with two RBIs.

In the second game of the day, Oklahoma State faced off with nationally-ranked LSU. The Tigers (1-0 overall) plated four runs in the first inning and seven more in the second taking an 11-1 lead into the third inning.

The Cowgirls scored their first run of the game in the second inning when sophomore Madi Sue Montgomery scored off an RBI single from junior Maddi Holcomb.

In the top of the fourth, Lynch blasted an RBI-double to centerfield to cut the LSU lead to 14-2.

Oklahoma State was led offensively by Montgomery, who finished 2-for-3 with one run scored.

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Up Next: Oklahoma State returns to action Saturday, Feb. 11 with a doubleheader against McNeese State and Penn State. First pitch against McNeese State is set for 10 a.m., while the game against Penn State is scheduled for 12:30. Live stats for all games this weekend are available at okstate.com.