Cowgirls Survive Kansas in Series Finale

Originally Published: Apr 18, 2010 3:1 PM CDT

Gerald Goodridge
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

LAWRENCE, Kansas -- No. 9 Oklahoma State secured a two-game sweep over the Kansas Jayhawks 4-3 Sunday.

The Cowgirls’ (39-7, 9-0) offense got rolling early scoring three runs in the first two innings. In the third at-bat of the game, Julie Ward singled to center to bring Katelyn Bright across the plate. Two batters later, Megan Castle reached on an error while Alysia Hamilton scored. Hamilton added one more to the lead in the second inning with an RBI single to score Chelsea Garcia and give OSU a 3-0 lead.

Kansas (18-26, 1-10) scored its first run of the game in the fifth inning on a Marissa Ingle two-out, solo home run to left field.

OSU responded with an RBI single by Kelsey Anchors to score Sammy Diffendaffer and push the lead back to three runs.

The Jayhawks closed the lead to a single run in the bottom of the fifth with two unearned runs by Brittany Hile and Rosie Hull. That would end Kat Espinosa’s (17-3) outing for Oklahoma State after 5.2 innings. The Cowgirls’ hurler only surrendered three hits in her service and struck out five of the 24 batters she faced.

Anna Whiddon replaced Espinosa and retired four of the next five batters she faced to record a save and secure the win for the Cowgirls.

Kansas got a complete game outing from Allie Clark who gave up eight hits and two earned runs, but didn’t record a single strikeout.

Oklahoma State is back in Stillwater on Wednesday against Wichita State before traveling to Lubbock for a Thursday doubleheader with Texas Tech.