STILLWATER – A three-run home run in the first inning from UCF’s Izzy Mertes was too much for the No. 19 Oklahoma State softball team to overcome as the No. 24 Knights were 4-1 winners in the Big 12 opener at Cowgirl Stadium Friday.
OSU dipped to 16-6 on the year, with UCF improving to 21-4.
RyLee Crandall took the loss for the Cowgirls, falling to 6-1 after allowing three runs in 2.2 innings of work. Ruby Meylan was strong in relief, yielding only one run in 4.1 innings. Isabella Vega (6-2) pitched a complete game to earn her sixth win of the year for the Knights.
OSU got its lone run of the game in the sixth, thanks to a sacrifice fly from Audrey Schneidmiller to bring in Macy Graf.
Both teams had their chances to add to the scoring tally, but the Cowgirl pitchers and defense worked their way out of several jams and forced UCF to strand 12 runners in the game. The OSU offense was a consistent threat but left at least one runner in scoring position in four different innings.
Cowgirl center fielder Jayelle Austin made a run-saving play in the fourth inning when she made a diving catch with two outs and a runner on third base. Second baseman Jayden Jones also made a run-saving play in the fifth inning when she broke hard to her right to keep a sharply hit ball in the infield and force baserunner Ashleigh Griffin to stop at third base. When Meylan coaxed Aubrey Evans into a fielder’s choice ground out to third on the next at-bat, it marked the third inning that UCF left the bases loaded.
Game two of the three-game series is tomorrow at 2 p.m. CT.
