OSU Softball Beats Drake, No. 17 Minnesota

The Oklahoma State softball team opened the 2014 Mizuno Classic with a pair of wins Friday, knocking off Drake, 2-0, in its first game and ending the day with an exciting 5-4 victory over No. 17 Minnesota.

The win over the Golden Gophers (16-3) marked the Cowgirls' (14-7) first win over a ranked opponent since they defeated No. 17 Stanford on Feb. 22 last season in Palm Springs, Calif.

In game one against Drake (6-15), the Cowgirls got on the board in the fifth inning with a pair of runs for the only scoring in the game.

An Ari Morrison single to left center marked the beginning of the rally, as she followed it with a steal of second base. Tarah Ettinger stepped up to the plate next and delivered a double to right center to score Morrison.

Ettinger advanced to third on a Tiffany Mikkelson single and scored after Gessenia DeLaCruz walked and Whitney Whitehorn was hit by a pitch.

Whitehorn (4-3) closed out the game in the circle to record a complete game shutout with only two hits allowed.

The last game of the day featured the Cowgirls in an underdog role against Minnesota.

The Golden Gophers struck first with a first a two-run blast over the left field wall by catcher Taylor LeMay in the second inning, with the Cowgirls responding in the bottom of the inning with a DeLaCruz walk and Shelby Davis single to cut the lead to 2-1.

Minnesota added another run in the third with a solo shot by second baseman Erica Meyer to make it 3-1.

OSU scored in the fourth via a DeLaCruz double to cut the lead to 3-2.

However, the Golden Gophers had other ideas and hit their third home run of the night, a solo shot by the pinch hitter, Madie Eckstrom, to extend the Minnesota lead to 4-2.

The Cowgirls refused to give up and stormed back. DeLaCruz singled home Mikkelson and the next batter, pinch hitter Whitehorn, singled to the first basemen, scoring Simone Freeman from third. DeLaCruz then scored during the same at-bat due to a throwing error by the pitcher to put OSU up 5-4.

In the circle, Freeman (10-3) pitched seven innings, allowing four runs on three hits and striking out four.

At the plate, the Cowgirls had six hits. Davis went 2-for-4 with an RBI and DeLaCruz went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Freeman picked up a base hit and an RBI and Mikkelson has a single for the Cowgirls.

The Cowgirls return to action tomorrow. However, due to inclement weather, game times for the Mizuno Classic may be moved. Check back to okstate.com or on Twitter @CowgirlSB for game time changes.