STILLWATER – A walk-off walk drawn by Gabby Castillo lifted the No. 19 Oklahoma State softball team to a 2-1 win over No. 24 UCF at Cowgirl Stadium Saturday.
The win improved Oklahoma State to 17-6 on the season and 1-1 in the Big 12, while UCF fell to 21-5 overall and 1-1 in conference.
With Ruby Meylan in the circle for OSU and Ava Stuewe for UCF, neither team was able to scratch across a run until the bottom of the fifth, when Aubrey Jones scored on a fielding error by Knights catcher Beth Damon. With the bases loaded and one out, Rosie Davis hit a grounder that was fielded by Stuewe. Stuewe went home with the throw, but it glanced off the glove of Damon to score Jones.
Damon redeemed herself one inning later when she rocketed her eighth home run over the left field fence to tie the game. UCF had a solid chance to take the lead in the seventh, with the speedy Samantha Rey on second and one out, but Meylan got Coco Jaimes to fly out to left before striking out Kendall Yarnell to silence the threat and set the stage for the OSU offense to deliver the win.
With two out and nobody on in the seventh, Rosie Davis singled to right, followed by a four-pitch walk to Karli Godwin. The bases were loaded after an outstanding at-bat from Amanda Hasler, who drew a 10-pitch walk. UCF then went to the bullpen to bring in ace Isabella Vega, but Vega walked Castillo on four pitches to seal the result.
Meylan (7-4) picked up the win for Oklahoma State. The right-hander recorded her fifth complete game of the season by repeatedly navigating her way through jams as UCF threatened with runners on base. Meylan stranded eight Knights on base throughout the game and prevented them from capitalizing on scoring opportunities.
Stuewe (4-1) was charged with her first loss of the season despite a strong outing. She pitched 6 2/3 innings, striking out five while limiting Oklahoma State’s offense for much of the afternoon.
Defense played a significant role in the contest as well, with both teams leaving eight runners on base. UCF made several key defensive plays to keep the game close.
One of the biggest stops came in the bottom of the sixth inning. With a runner in scoring position, Oklahoma State’s Aubrey Jones hit a ball into right-center field that appeared destined to bring in the go-ahead run. However, Rey tracked it down and made a diving catch to end the inning and preserve the tie.
The rubber match of the series is set for 11 a.m. CT tomorrow.
