Softball victimized by late Oklahoma State rallies in 10-9 (8 inn.) loss

Sunday, March 26

Stillwater, Okla.

1 p.m.

University of Texas

17-14, 0-3

Oklahoma State

22-11, 3-0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Texas	0	0	4	0	0	4	0	1	9	14	1
Oklahoma State	2	0	0	0	0	1	5	2	10	11	2

Softball victimized by late Oklahoma State rallies in 10-9 (8 inn.) loss

03.26.2017 | Softball

Box Score

Freshman catcher Taylor Ellsworth tied a Texas single-game school record by going 5-for-5 at the plate

STILLWATER, Okla. – On Sunday afternoon at Cowgirl Stadium, Longhorns freshman catcher Taylor Ellsworth equaled a school single-game record for hits by going 5-for-5 at the plate with a double and two RBIs, but Texas softball (17-14, 0-3 Big 12 Conference) was victimized by a pair of late Oklahoma State (22-11, 3-0 Big 12 Conference) rallies in suffering a tough series finale defeat, 10-9 (8 inn.).

The Burnt Orange & White led Oklahoma State by an 8-3 count entering the bottom of the seventh before the UT bullpen surrendered five runs to send the contest to extra innings. UT battled back in front at 9-8 during the top of the eight before the Cowgirls again responded, scoring twice in the bottom half to complete their 10-9 victory.

Ellsworth was amazing at the dish for the Horns in the loss, tying Texas-Ex Taylor Thom's school single-game record for hits that was established back on April 23, 2011, during a 5-for-5 effort at Texas Tech. In the process, the Georgetown, Texas, native improved her team-leading batting average to a remarkable .535 (23-for-43) over her first 16 collegiate games played.

Senior shortstop Devon Tunning contributed a 3-for-5 effort with a triple and two RBIs as the UT offense banged out a season-high 14 hits against the Cowgirls. Freshman right fielder Tuesday DerMargosian was 2-for-3 with a RBI, senior left fielder Stephanie Wong was 1-for-1 with three runs scored and a RBI, freshman second baseman Jade Gortarez was 1-for-5 with a double and two RBIs and senior pitcher Tiarra Davis was 1-for-2 with a RBI.

In the circle for the Longhorns, Davis (3-7) took the loss in relief, allowing three earned runs on five hits with two walks over 1.1 frames of work. Junior right-hander Paige von Sprecken started and permitted two earned runs on three hits with three walks and two K's in 4.2 innings.

Unlike the first two games of the series at Oklahoma State, Texas' offense immediately threatened on Sunday against the Cowgirls. Tunning started the opening frame with a lead-off single to left and moved to second on a perfect Wong sacrifice bunt. Ellsworth reached on her own single off the glove of leaping OSU third baseman Rylee Bayless to set runners at the corners for the Longhorns with two retired. Unfortunately, UT missed a chance to take an early lead as a bouncer to third was corralled to leave the duo stranded.

With Texas having left two on in the top half, Oklahoma State managed to put a crooked number on the scoreboard in the bottom half. Following a one-out walk issued to right fielder Taylor Lynch, catcher Vanessa Shippy hit a 1-1 pitch over the wall in deep center to grant the Cowgirls an early 2-0 advantage.

A hit batter came back to hurt OSU during the top of the third as Wong was struck by a Brandi Needham pitch and later swiped second with two down. Ellsworth stepped to the plate with the opportunity to both provide a clutch hit and start a two-out rally and delivered as her double into the left field corner plated Wong to cut the Cowgirl lead to 2-1. With Longhorns standing at the corners, following a Randel Leahy walk, Gortarez blasted a double off the wall in left, clearing the base paths to hand Texas its first lead of the series at 3-2. The hit parade continued as DerMargosian made it 2-for-2 with a perfect slap single up the first base line that scored Gortarez with UT's fourth run of the inning.

Bidding for an immediate response in the bottom of the third, Oklahoma State put two aboard with one retired on a Bayless walk and a Taylor Lynch single up the middle. That's when the Texas defense made a big play as freshman Kaitlyn Slack corralled a chopper to third, stepped on the bag for the force and fired across the diamond to senior Kelli Hanzel at first for an inning-ending double play.

A string of five straight Oklahoma State batters retired by von Sprecken was broken up in the fifth on a one-out single to right by OSU shortstop Randee O'Donnell. A perfect sacrifice bunt moved the Cowgirl runner into scoring position where she was soon joined on a Bayless free pass. With two aboard, the decision was made to summon sophomore Brooke Bolinger in for relief. The move paid immediate dividends as the new Texas hurler struck out Lynch to leave the pair stranded.

Texas picked up four runs of insurance in the top of the sixth while blowing the contest open for the moment. With one retired and Slack and Hanzel on base via a hit-by-pitch and an error, respectively, Tunning slashed a drive to right. Charging in quickly from her defensive position was OSU's Lynch, but the ball bounced just under her glove and rolled all the way to the wall for a two-RBI triple to make it 6-2. Wong followed immediately by lashing a RBI single to left, plating Tunning with UT's seventh tally. Two-out singles from Ellsworth and pinch hitter Davis combined to plate another as the Longhorns put another crooked number on the board in improving its lead to 8-2.

In desperate need of a rally, OSU cut into its deficit during the sixth as designated player Kristin Reasnor contributed a RBI base knock to right center.

Down to one final opportunity to extend things in the bottom of the seventh, Oklahoma State started its at-bat off positively by loading the bases on a pair of walks and a bunt single. Davis was summoned from the bullpen facing a potential save situation and immediately got Lynch to pop-up to short for the first out. Shippy followed by lining a double off the wall in left, however, plating two Cowgirls to cut the gap to 8-5 with a pair in scoring position. After a RBI groundout pulled OSU with two runs, pinch hitter Hayleigh Galvan shocked everyone in attendance by tying the game at 8-8 on a two-out, two-run HR to left.

Forced into extra innings, Texas quickly restored its lead during the top of the eighth as a hit batter, a sac bunt and Ellsworth's school record-tying fifth hit of the game combined to push the Horns back in front, 9-8.

The UT advantage wouldn't hold up however, as OSU loaded the bases with one down in the bottom of the eighth. A Davis wild pitch tied things up before Shippy lined a game-winning RBI single up the middle to complete a stunning 10-9 Cowgirl triumph.