Oklahoma State Tops North Texas, Wins Stillwater Regional to Advance to Super Regional

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State softball advances to its third-straight NCAA Super Regional after beating North Texas, 2-0.

With the win, the Cowgirls move to 44-12 on the season and will host Clemson in a Super Regional in Stillwater this coming week following an 8-0 win over Louisiana in the Clemson Regional on Sunday.

“Really good softball game, I’m really happy with the way we played,” said head coach Kenny Gajewski. “I know we only scored two runs, but those two arms are good, and we knew it was going to be a test. But we found a way to really hit some balls hard. Both teams were a little bit unlucky, Kelly gave up a long fly ball that probably would’ve gotten out if the wind wasn’t blowing in, then (Karli) Petty’s ball would’ve gone way out with no wind. I thought we hit a lot of balls hard and we had a lot of good at-bats. (Miranda) Elish was a monster hit, it was one that will go down in the record books of just being clutch, and that’s what she’s been able to do all year long. Obviously, Kelly (Maxwell) had 15 K’s, no walks and I think the first game she had 11 K’s. I don’t think it’s a secret, she’s really good and we’re really proud of her. She had really good command, the off-speed was really going down hard. They had a hard time making adjustments and there was a lot of swing and misses. Anytime you can throw a seven-inning complete game with 15 K’s and only have 91 pitches, that means you’re pumping a lot of strikes and had complete command in the game.”

Senior Miranda Elish was the offensive hero of Sunday’s game as she hit a solo home run in the top of the sixth inning to put the Pokes on the board for the first run of the game.

“She threw me a changeup and I was seeing it the whole time with her pitching,” Miranda Elish said following the game. “I just stayed back on it, I was just trying to hit it hard. I wasn’t trying to hit a home run or anything, I was just trying to get on base so that we could get some baserunners.”

It was pitcher Kelly Maxwell who was electric in the circle for the Cowgirls. The junior went all seven innings, throwing 91 pitches, 67 of which were strikes and recording an impressive 15 strikeouts, just three off her season-high.

“The first time I faced them I struggled,” said Kelly Maxwell. “They hit my rise-ball pretty good the first time we played them. Being able to throw my changeup so effectively today, I was able to offset them as hitters.” 

It was a rather quick top of the first inning for the Cowgirls, who was the visiting team for this game. UNT’s starting pitcher, Ashley Peters struck out leadoff Chelsea Alexander, followed by Chyenne Factor. Katelyn Carwile got the bats going for the Cowgirls with a two-out single up the middle, followed by a hard-hit ball out to left field by Miranda Elish. However, that hit was caught for the third out of the inning, stranding Carwile on first.

Kelly Maxwell got things started for the Cowgirls in the circle by striking out the first two hitters. With a 3-2 count, UNT catcher Kalei Christensen reached safely on an error by Karli Petty, who lost the flyball in the sun. Maxwell got Tayla Evans to flyout in the next at-bat, to get out of the inning.

Sydney Pennington hit a sharp grounder down the third base line to start the top of the second inning, but was mis-handled by 3B Saleen Donohoe, allowing Pennington to reach safely.

Karli Petty hit a rocket out to centerfield that would’ve cleared on any other day for a two-run homer, but a 20+ mile per hour wind held the ball up to be caught at the wall for out No. 2. That at-bat was followed with a lineout by Taylor Tuck for out No. 3.

Maxwell starting the bottom half of the second inning strong as she struck out the side in order, giving her five strikeouts in the first two innings.  

Nothing happened for the Cowgirls in the top of the third inning as they were retired in order.

The bottom half of the third started the same way as the first two innings for Maxwell as she recorded her sixth strikeout of the afternoon for the first out. Petty hauled in a flyball in foul territory for the second out, with Maxwell fielding a grounder up the middle for the third out of the inning.

Carwile reached base for the second time in the game as she was hit in the elbow in the top half of the fourth inning. Elish advanced Carwile with a fielder’s choice, but that was all that happened for the Pokes as Pennington struck out and Haley Busby grounded out to shortstop for the third out.

UNT’s Rainey starting things off in the bottom half of the fourth with a double down the right field line, but Maxwell recorded her seventh strikeout of the day for the first out of the inning. A deep flyball to right center was hauled in by Factor for the second out, with Rainey advancing to third. Maxwell got out of trouble though by recording her eighth strikeout of the game.

Karli Petty led things off for the Pokes with a standout double in the top of the fifth, with Taylor Tuck advancing Petty over to third with a sac-bunt. Poor baserunning by Petty recorded the second out of the inning as she was caught between third and home on a grounder by Kiley Naomi. Chelsea Alexander was tagged out on a grounder down the first base line for the third out, stranding Naomi on second.

Maxwell picked up where she left off in the bottom of the fifth as she retired the side, all strikeouts, to give her 11 on the day.

It was Elish who put the Pokes on the board first as she drove a ball deep over the right field fence in the top of the sixth to put OSU on top, 1-0. Pennington drove a ball into center field for a two out single next up, with Busby advancing Pennington over to second with a single into left field. A passed ball moved Pennington and Busby over to second and third.

On a 2-2 count, Pennington advanced home on another passed ball, but was called out at the plate. Cowgirls head coach Kenny Gajewski called for the play to be reviewed, but the call was upheld to end the inning.

Petty started the seventh inning off with an eight-pitch double to put a runner in scoring position, which prompted a pitching change back to the starter, Ashley Peters, for UNT. Morgyn Wynne reached first on an error by the UNT shortstop, which scored Petty from second to put the Pokes on top, 2-0.

“It’s what you’ve got to do this time of the year,” said Gajewski. “I figured this game was going to be low-scoring, I didn’t expect it to be 0-0 going into the sixth inning, (North Texas) has really improved with their bats. They haven’t always been the most offensive team, but now he’s got a lot of these kids to grow up and learn how to fight. With Kelly going for us, it’s usually a low-scoring game on our end. With their kids, they’ve been pitching very well, the way they shut down opponents here, I knew it was going to be a tough deal.”

Maxwell was just as strong in the bottom of the seventh as she had been all game as she recorded strikeouts for all three outs, giving her 15 on the game.