Oklahoma State Opens Bedlam Softball with a Flurry of Bombs in Love's Field

NORMAN – Oklahoma State traveled down to Norman and the University of Oklahoma campus on Thursday afternoon so they could get a look and even workout for a little while in Oklahoma’s new softball palace Love’s Field. Then No. 2 OU packed it with mostly Sooner fans to the tune of 4,200 for the Firday night Bedlam opener, but the No. 4 Cowgirls got enough time to get comfortable and make it feel like home on their way to a 6-3 win. 

“Great softball game and we really didn’t play clean and that tells you a little bit about our team,” head coach Kenny Gajewski said on Twitter after the game. “you don’t have to be perfect all the time. We can still score six runs off of a really good arm (arms) and off of a good team.”

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Maxwell got the loss for OU to drop to 16-2 in 2024.

The Cowgirls took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth inning when Oklahoma starter and former OSU All-American left-handed pitcher Kelly Maxwell delivered a 2-2 pitch to designated hitter Michaela Wark and Wark flat out blasted it two-thirds up the garden beyond the centerfield fence that serves as the batter’s eye. Wark’s blow was measured at over 250 feet and the solo home run put the Cowgirls up 3-2.

Maxwell was pulled after the fourth inning and OU head coach Patty Gasso brought in her other ace in Kierston Deal. The Cowgirls knew just how to handle Deal and they proceeded to a two home run inning. Lead-off hitter in the order Jilyen Poullard led off the inning and hit a bomb way up the stands in rightfield to make it 4-2 in favor of the Cowgirls. It was the seventh home run of the season for Poullard. 

Deal came in having allowed only four home runs this season but she allowed half of that in the two-third of an inning she pitched to Oklahoma State. With two outs and one on, freshman Karli Godwin hit another home run that qualified as a shot. This one landed just to right side of the centerfield garden right at the tunnel to come into the seats in right-center. The two-run homer, Godwin’s 13^th of the season made it 6-2. Godwin was 3-for-4 on the night with two doubles, the home run, and four RBI. Godwin, the freshman from North Carolina was a Sooner destroyer. 

“Godwin doing what she did, she is a special kid,” added Gajewski. “She had some great at bats. It was a real team effort and a team win, but we still have a lot of work to do.”

Oklahoma got a run on late throw on a ground ball in the bottom of the sixth inning to make it 6-3. 

The early runs that staked OU to a 2-0 lead came with one in the first as Cowgirls starter Kyra Aycock had a walk-a-thon going. She walked a run in the first. Walks set up the run scored on a single by Kinzie Hansen that was slightly mishandled allowing Tiare Jennings to score. 

Oklahoma State Athletics

Kilfoyl only allowed one run once she came into the game. She got the win.

Oklahoma State tied the game in the top of the third as Godwin got her other two RBI on a double down the line in leftfield that rattled in the corner and scored Poullard and Edwards, who were at second and third when Godwin hit it. 

Lexi Kilfoyl came in for Aycock and got the win for the Cowgirls, her 20^th on he season and she is now 20-3 as the Big 12 pitching wins leader. 

“i was proud of Kyra. She wasn’t sharp,” Gajewskis said. “Then Lexi comes in and slams the door shut.”

Oklahoma State goes to 43-8 on the season and 20-5 in Big 12 play, while Oklahoma drops to 45-5 overall and 21-4 in the Big 12. Texas is now 21-4 after beating Texas Tech and with the series win over Oklahoma for the tiebreaker the Longhorns are in first in the conference. It can all jumble up some more tomorrow as Bedlam game two will start at noon and be telvised on ESPN.