Oklahoma State Splits Second Day of Tournament

After winning back-to-back games to start the season, the Oklahoma State Cowgirls split the Saturday games of the Hilton Houston Piazza Classic, knocking off Texas A&M Corpus Christi 6-1 in the early game, but fell to Houston 3-0 in the second game.

In the opening game, Oklahoma State fell behind 1-0 in the third inning on a two-out Cassie Carroll RBI double to score Alejia Cain. Jamise Jackson grounded out to the pitcher in the next at-bat to end the inning and the threat.

Sophomore pitcher Morgan Hawkins then went to work, striking out the next 11 batters, surrendering just a two-out walk in the top of the seventh, to end the threat.

In the bottom of the next inning, after Kelsey Anchors hit a leadoff single and advanced to third in the next at-bat on a fielding error by the pitcher, Tamara Brown singled to shallow right field to bring Anchors home and tie the game.

Two innings later, Oklahoma State loaded the bases thanks to yet another leadoff single, an error on a sacrifice bunt and a hit by pitch. Then the Cowgirls capitalized on pitching woes, scoring back-to-back runs on passed balls to take a 3-1 lead. In the next at-bat, Sammy Jo Diffendaffer knocked a two-run single to left field to push the lead to four runs. Ari Morrison singled in the next at-bat to bring Diffendaffer home to take a 6-1 lead and close the game out.

The second game was dominated by the Cougars' pitcher Diedre Outon, keeping the Cowgirls offense in check. The sophomore from Pflugerville, Texas pitched a complete-game shutout, giving up just three hits and striking out three in her outing.

In the bottom of the first, Ashleigh Jones hit a leadoff single and then moved into scoring position thanks to a sacrifice bunt, then scored on an RBI single by Holly Anderson to shallow right field. In the next inning, Jennifer Klinkert scored on an error by the catcher to extend their lead to two runs and the Cougars scored their third run of the game on a leadoff home run in the bottom of the fourth by Haley Outon.

Oklahoma State will be back in action early Sunday, taking on A&M Corpus Christi in their final game of the tournament.