Micaela Wark made sure Oklahoma State didn’t lose on Thursday.
After the heart-breaking loss to Wichita State on Tuesday, the Cowgirls were tested again on Thursday.
Wark’s two-run home run in the seventh gave OSU the 7-5 win against Kansas in Lawrence.
With the win, OSU improved to 33-3 and Kansas fell to 19-15.
The Cowgirls pitching woes continued against Kansas. After giving up 14 hits to the Shockers on Tuesday, Kansas got double-digit hits off the Cowgirl pitching staff on Thursday.
Lexi Kilfoyl got the start in the circle for the Cowgirls and struggled, giving up five runs on 10 hits and recording six strikeouts in her complete-game performance.
The OSU offense got things going early and quickly in the second inning.
Micaela Wark singled and Morgyn Wynne drew a walk to start the inning, bringing up Chyenne Factor
The senior kept the runners moving, laying down a sacrifice bunt to get the runners to second and third, bringing up Katelynn Carwile.
Carwile got one home thanks to her one-out double to left field, scoring Wark and giving the Cowgirls the early 1-0 lead.
OSU was looking for more runs in the next at-bat, but Taylor Tuck hit into a fielder’s choice, resulting in Wynne being thrown out at home.
But Megan Bloodworth came through in the next at-bat, hitting a two-out double to the center field wall, scoring Carwile and extending the Cowgirl lead to 2-0.
Double 5s with a double of her own to double the Cowgirls' lead 🤠
T2 | OSU 2 – KU 0 #AllOne | @megbloodworth | 📺 ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/BEP3O68mk7
— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) April 6, 2023
Rachel Becker joined the party hitting a two-RBI single, giving the Cowgirls a commanding 4-0 lead. The hit gave Becker nine RBIs in her last five games.
Kilfoyl was dominating through the first four innings, giving up one hit in the first four. That all changed for the senior in the fifth.
After Sophia Buzard drew a walk and was advanced to second off a ground out, Kansas had something cooking with two outs.
Shayna Espy got the first run home for Kansas, hitting a single between Becker and Wark, scoring Buzard and cutting the lead to 4-1.
The Jayhawks got another run off a throwing error from Kiley Naomi, making it 4-2.
Carwile got one back for OSU in the sixth thanks to her sacrifice fly, scoring pinch runner Haidyn Sokoloski and increasing the lead to 5-2.
Kilfolyl’s struggles continued in the sixth as Lyric Moore and Aynslee Linduff both got into scoring position off singles, setting up another scoring opportunity for Kansas.
Kilfoyl couldn’t limit the damage as Savanna DesRochers hit a shot down the right field line that scored Moore to make it 5-3.
Haleigh Harper came up big for Kansas as she hit a triple down the line, scoring Linduff and DesRochers and tying the game 5-5.
Momentum had switched, but that didn’t faze OSU in the seventh
Becker and Tallen Edwards both got on to start the inning, bringing up Naomi to try and take the lead for the Cowgirls.
The senior got on off a fielder’s choice that resulted in Edwards getting out at second, setting the stage for Wark.
Wark called game, hitting a two-run bomb over the left field wall, giving the Cowgirls the 7-5 lead.
MICAELA WARK TWO RUN SEVENTH INNING DINGER. COWGIRLS TAKE THE LEAD.
T7 | OSU 7 – KU 5#AllOne | @micaela_wark | 📺 ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/ZoIz6OWXxh
— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) April 7, 2023
Kilfoyl shut the door on the Jayhawks, giving OSU the victory in game one of the series.
The Cowgirls and Jayhawks play game two of the series on Friday at 5 p.m. and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.
