Oklahoma State softball came up short of Bedlam sweep but reinforced its confidence
Scott WrightThe Oklahoman
NORMAN — Standing in the tunnel behind the dugout at OU’s Love’s Field on Sunday afternoon, Kenny Gajewski wasn’t ready to think about any positive juice his Oklahoma State softball team might’ve gained in taking two of three games from the second-ranked Sooners.
The sting of Sunday’s 8-2 loss was a little too fresh for such reflection.
Defensive miscues, runners left on base, and a few mistakes to OU power hitters prevented the fourth-ranked Cowgirls from pulling off a Bedlam sweep in the Sooners’ new home.
But the Friday and Saturday victories were enough to let Gajewski open up about what his team showed in a hostile environment of 4,528 fans — mostly in crimson and cream.
“Lot of empty seats, so that was kinda cool,” Gajewski said with a wry smile. “I think we were a big part of that. Kinda felt good, to be honest.
“We’re good. I think we’ve been saying that for a long time.”
Though the Cowgirls (44-9, 21-6 Big 12) couldn’t finish the sweep of the three-time defending champion Sooners (46-6, 22-5), they proved they can compete with the best college softball has to offer.
“I think it just shows how good of a team we are,” OSU sophomore Micaela Wark said. “Walking into this series, we were really confident. A lot of teams, they see OU and they back up on their heels and they’re a little more scared.
“I think what’s so special about this team is we’re not scared of anything. We’re not scared to face anybody.”
Here are three takeaways from OSU’s loss:
Rosenberry pitches through pain again
Early Sunday, Gajewski sat down with Ivy Rosenberry and her mother to discuss a potential pitching plan for the day.Rosenberry has been dealing with a rib injury for the last week, and while she’s in no danger of worsening the injury, and it doesn’t impact her pitching motion, it still causes pain.
But she came into the day 4 ⅓ innings short of 100 for the season — the minimum requirement during the regular season for a pitcher to be eligible for All-America honors with the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.
“Your numbers are good. You’re gonna be in the conversation for All-American stuff,” Gajewski told Rosenberry. “You have to get to 100.”
So Gajewski left the decision in the hands of Rosenberry and her mother, who chose to give it a shot.
Rosenberry got through exactly 4 ⅓ innings, starting for the second straight day, despite the rib pain. She allowed two runs on seven hits with one walk, throwing 85 pitches and holding the Sooners scoreless until the fourth inning.
That’s when OU freshman Kasidi Pickering lined a two-run homer to left-center field — the Sooners’ first home run of the series.
Rosenberry concludes the regular season with 89 strikeouts in 100 innings, posting a 1.68 ERA — nearly a full run better than she had in 37 innings a year ago.
“It speaks volumes about her and (pitching coach) Carrie Eberle,” Gajewski said of Rosenberry’s season. “This is what Oklahoma State is all about and frankly, it’s what our state is all about. It’s toughness, it’s blue-collar, it’s a chip on your shoulder. To watch this kid and see what she’s done up to this point has been really cool.
“I don’t think there were too many people in the game who thought this was gonna happen for her.”
Big 12 Tournament rematch?
The Cowgirls and Sooners went into Sunday’s game knowing a rematch could be on the schedule next week.Because Texas had already won to clinch the Big 12 regular-season title earlier in the day, OSU and OU were playing for the second and third seeds in the conference tournament, set to begin Wednesday at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.
With the loss, OSU slides into the No. 3 spot, and will face sixth-seeded BYU. OSU won two of three games at BYU during the regular season.
OSU and BYU will play Thursday’s first game, set for an 11 a.m. start.
Should the Sooners and Cowgirls win Thursday, they’d be set to square off in the semifinals at 5 p.m. Friday.
Seeking a top-8 seed
OSU is sure to see a boost in the Ratings Percentage Index after taking two of three from the Sooners. OSU entered the weekend No. 10 in the RPI, which is a key component used for NCAA Tournament seeding.Though the Cowgirls are No. 4 in the coaches’ poll, and sure to rise in the coming week, the RPI could keep them on the bubble for a top-eight seed, the coveted spot that assures a team of regional and super-regional host berths.
The Big 12 Tournament will be weighed in the seeding process as well, but for now, the Cowgirls aren’t sweating the seed talk.
“To me, personally, I don’t really give a dang,” OSU sophomore right fielder Lexi McDonald said. “We’re gonna go wherever the crap they put us and we’re gonna go beat the heck out of whoever we play. We have each other’s back.
“After this weekend especially, if we get to host supers, awesome. If not, awesome. We’re gonna go play and go have fun.”
Big 12 softball tournament schedule
Here's the full Big 12 softball tournament bracket with schedules for each game:Wednesday, May 8
All times Central.- Game 1: No. 7 Kansas vs. No. 10 Houston, 5 p.m.
- Game 2: No. 8 Texas Tech vs. No. 9 Iowa State, 8:30 p.m.
Quarterfinals: Thursday, May 9
- Game 3: No. 3 Oklahoma State vs. No. 6 BYU, 11 a.m.
- Game 4: No. 2 Oklahoma vs. Winner of Game 1,1:30 p.m.
- Game 5: No. 1 Texas vs. Winner of Game 2, 5 p.m.
- Game 6: No. 4 Baylor vs. No. 5 UCF, 7:30 p.m.
Semifinals: Friday, May 10
- Game 7: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4, 5 p.m.
- Game 8: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6, 7:30 p.m.
Championship: Saturday, May 11
- Game 9: Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 8, 6:30 p.m.
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