Oklahoma State University Athletics
Friday, April 27
Los Angeles, CA
4 P.M. CT
Oklahoma State University
35-14
9
vs
1
South Dakota
15-33
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma State | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 8 | 1 |
| South Dakota | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
Photo by: OSU Athletics
Cowgirls Run-Rule South Dakota, Fall to No. 1 UCLA
April 27, 2018 | Cowgirl Softball
LOS ANGELES – The No. 25/21 Oklahoma State softball team split a non-conference doubleheader on Friday afternoon, run-ruling South Dakota in five innings, 9-1, and falling to No. 1/1 UCLA, 7-2, at Easton Stadium.
"I thought we came out and played well in the first game. We swung the bats, Emmie (Robertson) pitched well again and we got some big hits," head coach Kenny Gajewski said. "Then we got a chance at the No. 1 team and in the first inning I just didn't feel like we were clean. We gave them those four runs when I felt like we had a chance to limit that. I was impressed with the way we swung the bats - we had some good, tough at-bats - but the defense just wasn't as clean as it could've been and Samantha (Clakley) wasn't as sharp as she has been in her past starts."
In the opener, the Cowgirls (35-15; 12-3 Big 12) used a six-run third inning to catapult themselves to a 9-1 run-rule victory.
Eight straight Cowgirls reached base to open the third, beginning with a bunt single from senior Maddi Holcomb. She was followed by Vanessa Shippy, who drew a walk to extend her career-long streak of consecutive games reaching base safely to 42. Taylor Lynch then dropped a bunt single of her own to load the bases and Madi Sue Montgomery quickly brought home Holcomb and Shippy on a long single that smacked off the wall in left center.
Including her pair of RBI in Friday's opener, Montgomery has driven in 56 runs so far this season to lead all Cowgirls and she ranks second among Big 12 competitors.
Sydney Pennington and Whitney Whitehorn drew walks behind Montgomery to load the bases again, and then freshmen Chelsea Alexander and Michaela Richbourg each drove home another run with hits that reached the wall and nearly resulted in grand slams for the first-year Cowgirls.
Three batters later, Vanessa Shippy stepped the plate for the second time in the inning, this time with the bases already loaded. She drew a four-pitch walk - her second of the inning - to bring home the sixth run of the inning.
Oklahoma State's final three runs came on a pair of home runs from Lynch and Whitehorn, as Lynch opened Friday's scoring with a solo shot in the top of the first inning and Whitehorn launched a two-run blast to left in the fourth. It was the seventh home run of the year for each Cowgirl.
Emmie Robertson handled duties in the circle, pitching a complete game for the eighth time in 2018. She surrendered five hits, struck out three and allowed no earned runs en route to improving to 12-4 on the year.
The Cowgirls were bested by No. 1 UCLA in Friday's finale, 7-2. The Bruins scored four runs, three of which were unearned, on three hits in the first inning, but the Cowgirls kept the nation's No. 2 offense in check after that, competing in a 3-2 ballgame over the final six frames.
"I told our team that if you take that first inning out, it's a different game," Gajewski said. "It doesn't mean you're going to win, but it's a different outcome and the pitches mean more if they don't have that big lead. I'm OK with the way that we played, but we just have to continue to grow."
Whitney Whitehorn provided one of the Cowgirls' two runs when she uncorked her second home run of the day in the fourth inning, this one flying inside the left-field foul pole. Whitehorn's eight home runs in 2018 are the third most by any Cowgirl, trailing only Madi Sue Montgomery's 12 and Jessi Haffner's 9.
"They just continue to compete and lead these young kids," Gajewski said of the production from his seniors on Friday. "It's starting to wind down for some of these kids. We've still got a lot of postseason to go, but it's been great to see these kids grow. This is our third year and to see them grow and just continue to get better makes me really happy."
Samantha Clakley was tagged for the loss and fell to 14-7 on the year after allowing four earned runs in 3 1/3 innings of work. Clakley also struck out four and walked just one, extending her streak to 24 consecutive appearances in which she did not walk more than two batters.
Oklahoma State will get a second look at both of Friday's opponents on Saturday, as the Cowgirls face South Dakota at 4 p.m. CT before wrapping up their weekend on the West Coast against No. 1 UCLA at 9 p.m. CT.
"I thought we came out and played well in the first game. We swung the bats, Emmie (Robertson) pitched well again and we got some big hits," head coach Kenny Gajewski said. "Then we got a chance at the No. 1 team and in the first inning I just didn't feel like we were clean. We gave them those four runs when I felt like we had a chance to limit that. I was impressed with the way we swung the bats - we had some good, tough at-bats - but the defense just wasn't as clean as it could've been and Samantha (Clakley) wasn't as sharp as she has been in her past starts."
In the opener, the Cowgirls (35-15; 12-3 Big 12) used a six-run third inning to catapult themselves to a 9-1 run-rule victory.
Eight straight Cowgirls reached base to open the third, beginning with a bunt single from senior Maddi Holcomb. She was followed by Vanessa Shippy, who drew a walk to extend her career-long streak of consecutive games reaching base safely to 42. Taylor Lynch then dropped a bunt single of her own to load the bases and Madi Sue Montgomery quickly brought home Holcomb and Shippy on a long single that smacked off the wall in left center.
Including her pair of RBI in Friday's opener, Montgomery has driven in 56 runs so far this season to lead all Cowgirls and she ranks second among Big 12 competitors.
Sydney Pennington and Whitney Whitehorn drew walks behind Montgomery to load the bases again, and then freshmen Chelsea Alexander and Michaela Richbourg each drove home another run with hits that reached the wall and nearly resulted in grand slams for the first-year Cowgirls.
Three batters later, Vanessa Shippy stepped the plate for the second time in the inning, this time with the bases already loaded. She drew a four-pitch walk - her second of the inning - to bring home the sixth run of the inning.
Oklahoma State's final three runs came on a pair of home runs from Lynch and Whitehorn, as Lynch opened Friday's scoring with a solo shot in the top of the first inning and Whitehorn launched a two-run blast to left in the fourth. It was the seventh home run of the year for each Cowgirl.
Emmie Robertson handled duties in the circle, pitching a complete game for the eighth time in 2018. She surrendered five hits, struck out three and allowed no earned runs en route to improving to 12-4 on the year.
The Cowgirls were bested by No. 1 UCLA in Friday's finale, 7-2. The Bruins scored four runs, three of which were unearned, on three hits in the first inning, but the Cowgirls kept the nation's No. 2 offense in check after that, competing in a 3-2 ballgame over the final six frames.
"I told our team that if you take that first inning out, it's a different game," Gajewski said. "It doesn't mean you're going to win, but it's a different outcome and the pitches mean more if they don't have that big lead. I'm OK with the way that we played, but we just have to continue to grow."
Whitney Whitehorn provided one of the Cowgirls' two runs when she uncorked her second home run of the day in the fourth inning, this one flying inside the left-field foul pole. Whitehorn's eight home runs in 2018 are the third most by any Cowgirl, trailing only Madi Sue Montgomery's 12 and Jessi Haffner's 9.
"They just continue to compete and lead these young kids," Gajewski said of the production from his seniors on Friday. "It's starting to wind down for some of these kids. We've still got a lot of postseason to go, but it's been great to see these kids grow. This is our third year and to see them grow and just continue to get better makes me really happy."
Samantha Clakley was tagged for the loss and fell to 14-7 on the year after allowing four earned runs in 3 1/3 innings of work. Clakley also struck out four and walked just one, extending her streak to 24 consecutive appearances in which she did not walk more than two batters.
Oklahoma State will get a second look at both of Friday's opponents on Saturday, as the Cowgirls face South Dakota at 4 p.m. CT before wrapping up their weekend on the West Coast against No. 1 UCLA at 9 p.m. CT.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Robertson, Emmie (12-4)
L: Alexis Devers (0-9)
Batting:
2B: Pennington, Sydney 1
HR: Lynch, Taylor 1 ; Whitehorn, Whitney 1
RBI: Shippy, Vanessa 1 ; Lynch, Taylor 1 ; Montgomery, Madi Sue 2 ; Whitehorn, Whitney 3 ; Alexander, Chelsea 1 ; Richbourg, Michaela 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Shippy, Vanessa 1 ; Lynch, Taylor 2 ; Montgomery, Madi Sue 1 ; Pennington, Sydney 2 ; Whitehorn, Whitney 1 ; Alexander, Chelsea 1 ; Holcomb, Maddi 1
HBP: Richbourg, Michaela 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Alyssa Fernandez 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
AB
2
R
2
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
3
Cowboy Football Spring Game Preview - Inside OSU Athletics with Eric Morris
Thursday, April 16
All of Ruby Meylan's 9 Strikeouts vs No. 1 Oklahoma
Thursday, April 16
EPIC GAME: Oklahoma State vs Oklahoma | Condensed Game Highlights 4-15-26
Thursday, April 16
Oklahoma State vs. Oklahoma | Condensed Game Highlights (04-14-2026)
Thursday, April 16
