Cowgirls Mark Regional Win with Record Home Run by Pennington
STILLWATER – Softball is a team game, but individual achievements are often a part of the game and can be celebrated when the entire team is behind it. With Oklahoma State leading 4-2 in the first championship game of the Stillwater Regional against Mississippi State, Cowgirls third baseman Sydney Pennington led off the top of the third and the senior from Sand Springs that is also known for her stellar glove at the corner took her bat to the top with as she connected with an Annie Willis delivery and put it over the left field wall. A fan caught the ball and then the bright yellow ball was passed to Pennington’s parents. A special ball indeed as Pennington’s 36th career home run to break the Cowgirls career record held by Tiffany Mikkelson (2013-16). That was a perfect congruence of team achievement and individual coming together. The Cowgirls polished off Mississippi State 10-2 in run rule fashion to win the Stillwater regional and earn the Super Regional back at Cowgirls Stadium next week against No. 12 seed Texas. The Longhorns cme back after losing the first championship game to beat Oregon in the Austin Regional.
The next inning after Pennington’s record breaker the Cowgirls essentially put the game away as a walk, single by Kiley Naomi, and an error at first base loaded the bases. Red hot hitting Alysen Febrey who was six-for-eight in the regional with three doubles and four RBI went to a full count and Mississippi State starter Annie Willis had a pitch get away from her to walk in a run. That was better than the full count pitch to the next hitter Hayley Busby as that was a strike that Busby connected for a line drive grand slam home run to right-center field. Oklahoma State led by the eventual final score 10-2.
“Very, very proud of this program as we have just continued to buildon what the great players accomplished before,” head coach Kenny Gajewski said in blending the happiness with the regional win and a program record accomplishment. “Really pleased in that I thought we played well all weekend and we pitched well. I think this team is starting to be the offensive force that I thought they could be.”
In the bottom of the first after the Bulldogs lead-off hitter Chloe Malau’ulu struck out, Fa Leilua blooped a single just past first base and out of the reach of Cowgirls first baseman Alysen Febrey. Leilua moved to second on a ground out by Carter Spexarth as the ball went off of pitcher Carrie Eberle’s glove and shortstop Naomi scooped it up and threw Spexarth out at first. The next hitter Mia Davidson hit a solid single to center and Leilua scored from second to put Mississippi State up 1-0.
This Cowgirls team is so good at answering. If this were a classroom with a professor that craves that student that jumps in at the right time in class discussion, the Cowgirls would get an A, but Oklahoma State is glad to take a W. Second baseman Karli Petty led off the second with a single to left field and then catcher Reagan Wright delivered with a two-run home run to dead center over the 220-foot sign. Oklahoma State took the lead back 2-1.
Chelsea Alexander hit a nubber that barely got out in front of the plate and Mississippi State catcher Mia Davidson threw wide of first and down into the right field corner as Alexander used her rapid wheels to speed over to third base. Kiley Naomi hit a sacrifice fly to mid center field and Alexander tagged and scored for a 3-1 lead.
Chyenne Factor kept the answer frame rolling with a ground ball to third that she used her speed to beat the throw to first. Febrey was next and for the second time a ball bounced around in the right field corner, this time off the bat of Febrey and while she finished at second with a double and a two-for-two start to the game, Factor motored all the way home from first to put OSU up 4-1.
“I told Jeff (Cottrill) sfter the third inning when we scored five that he was doing an amazing job with this offense and that this by far is the best we’ve been dialed in since we've been here,” Gajewski said of a converstation he had with the hitting coach during the game.
Mississippi State had an answer of their own in the bottom of the second. After the first two hitters stuck out, Christian Quinn blooped a single over the middle and then scored from second on a solid single from third baseman Montana Davidson. After Malau’ulu singled to put runners at first and second, Eberle got her third strike out of the inning to stop the response and leave the score 4-2.
It was at that point that the Cowgirls really cranked up the bats. Carrie Eberle got the start for the second day in a row against the Bulldogs, who are also pretty powerful at the plate. Sunday Eberle was even more efficient in winning her 22nd game of the season. The senior struck out eight and scattered six hits in giving up the two runs.
Oklahoma State is now 45-9 on the season and they had 11 hits to score their 10 runs with the three home runs by Pennington, Wright, and the grand slam by Busby.
“I was thinking in the last inning how the dynamic has changed here (at Oklahoma State),” Pennington said after the win. “I remember how excited everybody was after we won our first regional (after Gajewski became coach) and now how that is expected. I'm really proud of everybody and how we’ve changed that.”
Mississippi State’s season ends with a 35-25 record. The Cowgirls move on to host the Super Regional and Texas. That will start either on Thursday or Friday at Cowgirls Stadium.