No. 6 Oklahoma State Gets Outhit By Tulsa in Midweek In-State Rivalry
TULSA – The No. 6 Oklahoma State Cowgirls know they are a target anytime they take the diamond and that is especially true when they run into in-state rivals. The Cowgirls were outhit by one and outscored by three in a 3-0 loss that dropped their record on the second to 24-4. Oklahoma State could never get that big hit that they usually do in close games.
The sellout crowd at Collins Family Softball Complex on the Tulsa campus saw a scoreless battle into the fourth inning. With one out, Claira Skaggs doubled to left-center field all the way to the wall and that scored Imani Edwards for the first run of the game. Tulsa led 1-0.
Oklahoma State threatened several times after Tulsa took the lead, but give credit to TU pitcher Maura Moore and the defense behind her as they fought through several jams and kept the potent Oklahoma State offense off the scoreboard. She got out of a big threat in the fifth inning with a strike out as runners were stranded at second and third.
“Honestly, I’m so stoked and my defense had my back,” Moore said. “I trusted my stuff and beating Oklahoma State just shows we have that dog in us.”
Moore only allowed four hits and kept six Cowgirls stranded on base in the game. Meanwhile, Tulsa is now 19-9 on the season and they had five hits in the contest. Moore had her teammates give her a cushion in the bottom of the sixth inning.
In a very uncharacteristic play, Abby Jones with runners at second and third and two outs hit the ball hard down to third base and the ball went under the glove of reliable third baseman Tallen Edwards for the second error of the game. Imani Edwards and Haley Morgan both scored to make it 3-0.
Moore was able to retire the Cowgirls in the top of the seventh after allowing Micaela Wark to single and Tia Warsop walked to put two runners on. Moore finished the game with Lexi McDonald pinchitting for Macy Graf and grounding out to second base.
Aycock took the loss for Oklahoma State in the circle and is now 4-1 on the season.
Oklahoma State moves on and they will open a three-game Big 12 Conference series on the road Thursday at BYU.