The Oklahoma State Cowgirls went south of the border and put on a solid performance for the first softball action of the season.
Oklahoma State played in the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where they played four games from Friday-Sunday.
The Cowgirls relied on dominant pitching and timely hitting in the first two games against Oregon and North Carolina.
Kelly Maxwell took center stage in Game 1 against Oregon, picking up right where she left off last season.
The redshirt senior was sensational as she threw the complete game shutout against the Ducks.
Maxwell struck out 15 batters on 92 pitches, including a stretch where she retired 15 players in a row.
OSU loaded the bases in the fifth inning, and that’s when it took full control of the game.
Newcomer Tallen Edwards got the Cowgirls on the board when she hit a single that scored Haidyn Sokoloski.
The first run of 2023 belongs to Haidyn Sokoloski courtesy of a Tallen Edwards' RBI ‼️
T5 | OSU 1 – ORE 0#AllOne | @EdwardsTallen | 📺 @FloSoftball pic.twitter.com/8AWOLclCEK
— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) February 11, 2023
Transfer Rachel Becker drew a walk and a sacrifice fly from Kiley Naomi scored two more runs to extend the Cowgirls lead to 3-0.
Maxwell finished the ducks off in the sixth and seventh to bounce the Cowgirls to 1-0 on the season.
Saturday night was more of the same just from a different pitcher for the Cowgirls as OSU got the 3-2 win over North Carolina.
Lexi Kilfoyl stepped into the circle for the first time this season and she delivered.
The Alabama transfer picked up right where Maxwell left off on Friday, as she struck out 12 batters in 6 2/3 innings.
She contributed at the plate as well as she drove in all three runs, which included a two-run shot to give the Cowgirls a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
WELCOME TO IT COWGIRL. PITCHERS WHO RAKE.#AllOne | @lexikilfoyl | 📺 @FloSoftball pic.twitter.com/BRYNqtMdNS
— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) February 12, 2023
Kilfoyl got her career-high third RBI in the fifth when she hit Edwards in to give the Cowgirls a 3-0 lead.
After a couple of miscues from the Cowgirls in the seventh that led to a pair of North Carolina runs, they were able to hold off the Tar Heels for the win.
Sunday was a tale of two different stories for Oklahoma State.
The Cowgirls started that day dropping its first game of the year against Maryland.
Ivy Rosenberry got the start for the Cowgirls, but she was chased out of the game after 2 1/3 innings, as the Terrapins dinged her for three runs.
Sophomore Bailie Runner came in to relieve Rosenberry, but she wasn’t able to turn the tide.
Maryland added another two runs off Runner across 2 2/3 innings pitched.
Edwards was a bright spot for the Cowgirls offense as she went 2-for-4 and three RBIs for the Cowgirls.
Morgan Wynne cut into the lead with a two-run home run that gave OSU some life in the bottom of the fifth inning.
But Maryland was able to hold on, upsetting the Cowgirls 11-6.
The final game for OSU last weekend was a successful one as they took the win against Ole Miss.
Katelynn Carwile and Micaela Wark got the offense going as they both drew bases-loaded walks to give the Cowgirls the early 2-0 lead.
In the circle, Maxwell and Kilfoyl pitched a combined shutout.
Maxwell went the first six innings striking out eight Rebels. Kilfoyl came in and shut the door for the Cowgirls.
Edwards once again led the way for the OSU offense against Ole Miss.
She went 2-for-3, including an RBI sacrifice fly in the sixth to give OSU the comfortable 3-0 win.
For the weekend, Edwards went 7-13 with five RBIs. Her timely hitting was needed this whole weekend for the Cowgirls.
After the 3-1 weekend in Mexico, Oklahoma State returns to the States for the Clearwater Invitational where they play Texas A&M Thursday at 9 a.m.
