OSU Softball: Cowgirls Fall To Texas

The Oklahoma State softball team came up short in its series finale against Texas on Sunday, falling to the Longhorns, 7-2.

The Longhorns earned the series sweep with Sunday's win.

“Again, this game came down to one bad inning and us not being able to produce a hit in scoring situations,” coach Rich Wieligman said. “We had a chance to tie it up with the bases loaded in the sixth, but couldn't get it done. Still, I'm proud of the way our girls battled and turned it into a good ballgame.”

After a scoreless first inning, Texas produced five runs in the second thanks to five base-hits and an error from the Cowgirl defense. Marlee Gabaldon's two-run single gave the Longhorns their first two scores of the contest, and Devon Tunning's two-run home run extended the advantage to 5-0 early on.

OSU starting pitcher Brandi Needham was responsible for each of Texas' five second-inning runs, and was relieved in the third by freshman Jessi Haffner. Haffner surrendered one run in the top of the third, but went on to finish with only two earned runs in five innings of relief.

The Cowgirls began to claw their way back when Shelby Davis delivered a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the fifth. Tiffany Mikkelson led off the sixth with a solo shot to left, giving the junior her 13th home run of the season and cutting Oklahoma State's deficit to 6-2.

OSU continued to battle, as Vanessa Shippy and Danielle Riddle provided singles in the sixth, putting two Cowgirls on with two outs. The Longhorns appeared to have gotten out of the inning in the following at-bat, as Shippy was tagged out at third on Randee O'Donnell's grounder to the left side of the infield. However, UT third baseman Randel Leahy was ruled for obstruction, giving Oklahoma State a bases-loaded situation and a chance to tie the game.

Wieligman called upon power-threat Darcy Taylor, but reliever Lauren Slatten was able to end the inning with a swinging strikeout. Texas would go on to produce a perfect bottom of the seventh, clinching the series sweep for the visiting side.

Oklahoma State will close out its season with a pair of games against Oklahoma this weekend, beginning with a 2 p.m. matchup on Saturday in Norman. The Cowgirls will then return to Stillwater for the season finale and Senior Day on Sunday.