COWBOYS
Scott Wright
The Oklahoman
STILLWATER — Karli Godwin’s home run had not yet landed beyond the left field wall when Oklahoma State softball coach Kenny Gajewski began jogging up the baseline.
No, not the home run the Cowgirl first baseman hit Friday night to spark an offensive explosion in fifth-seeded OSU’s 8-0 run-rule win over unseeded Arizona in the Game 1 of the best-of-three Stillwater Super Regional at Cowgirl Stadium.
Friday’s homer was the first of three for the Cowgirls in a two-inning span — from Godwin, Claire Timm and Micaela Wark — as the Cowgirls scored early and often, supporting another dominant outing from senior pitcher Lexi Kilfoyl.
But the homer that led to Gajewski’s unplanned calisthenics came during Thursday’s batting practice, when he saw a plethora of hard hits from many of his players — but none from Godwin.
So Gajewski challenged his power-hitting freshman with a bet. Hit a homer and he’d run a lap around the outfield.
Gajewski ultimately had to make two trips around the outfield on Thursday, and probably would’ve done another Friday if not for the ongoing game.
“I got under her skin a bit, and she got me back,” Gajewski said. “We have fun. I like to poke and prod them. I like to challenge them. And that’s what I think helps them at times.”
Godwin agreed the mid-practice needling from her coach, and the home run challenge that followed, sparked her.
“Sometimes I need to get mad and work through things,” Godwin said. “I think that’s what it did in a fun way. I think it helped me.”
Gajewski said Godwin’s pregame batting practice Friday was much smoother than a day earlier, and her stats showed it.
Playing in her first career NCAA Super Regional, Godwin finished 2 for 2 with three RBIs, including an RBI single in the first inning that Gajewski considered “the most impressive one, if you want to know the truth in my mind,” he said. “Getting the base hit up the middle was huge.”
Godwin is 5 for 12 with two home runs and five RBIs in her first NCAA postseason and now has 15 homers for the year.
OSU can clinch its fifth straight trip to the Women’s College World Series with a win in Game 2, set for 6 p.m. Saturday.
Here are three takeaways from the Cowgirl victory:
Of course, she wasn’t so quiet on Friday.
After Jilyen Poullard led off the bottom of the first inning with a walk, Edwards laced a double down the right field line, moving Poullard to third.
That set up OSU’s first run of the game when Caroline Wang hit a sacrifice fly to left field.
Then Edwards came around to score, sliding headfirst into home plate just ahead of the tag, on a single by Godwin. She finished the game 1 for 2 with a walk and two runs scored, and is now 7 for 13 in the postseason, having hit safely in every game.
From her spot at third base, Edwards ended one of Arizona’s few scoring opportunities In the top of the second when she zipped to her left to glove a hard grounder. She smoothly spun and threw perfectly off one foot for the final out of the frame.
“The bigger the moment, Tallen can rise up and be whoever she wants to be,” Gajewski said. “She gets caught up at times looking at her average, looking at things that don’t matter.
“I knew Tallen would be here today. I could see it. It’s big-game Tallen. She just steps up and she loves the moment.”
Timm launched her ninth home run of the season to right-center field, and Wark followed immediately with a homer to left.
From there, OSU added three more runs with RBIs from Megan Bloodworth, Godwin and Rosie Davis to extend the lead to 8-0 in the bottom of the fourth, handing the game to Kilfoyl to finish off.
While the Cowgirls’ big number came in the fourth inning, the hitters always sensed it was coming.
“From Jil’s walk, and then she scored, I think we were going from there and it never stopped,” Wark said, referencing Poullard’s leadoff walk in the first. “I think that’s why we shut the game down. It started from the beginning.”
Arizona coach Caitlin Lowe opted to start her No. 2 pitcher, Miranda Stoddard, but turned to her top arm, Aissa Silva, in the third. Ali Blanchard, who had pitched just 24 innings all season, also saw some action.
But OSU had a response for each of them.
“The offense, they were relentless,” Gajewski said. “It was the Cowgirl way, and it was really cool. A lot of walks, a lot of baserunners, a lot of pressure.”
She was dominant in pitching 19 of 21 possible innings during the Stillwater Regional last weekend, and nothing seemed to change Friday.
Kilfoyl walked one batter, her first free pass of the postseason, but only once did a Wildcat baserunner reach third.
OSU coach Kenny Gajewski will have a decision facing him Saturday. He can go back to his ace once again, or try to give the Wildcats a different look with someone from his bullpen, either Ivy Rosenberry or Kyra Aycock.
Kilfoyl threw just 67 pitches, after having five days off, so she remains an option if Gajewski wants to use her again.
“Lexi’s a horse,” he said. “She’s the example of what an ace is.
“We haven’t even talked about (Saturday) yet. Ivy needs to throw, to be very honest. We can’t go another week where she doesn’t get enough work. We can’t ride one arm here. I’m gonna talk to (pitching coach Carrie Eberle) and the staff, but I really don’t know where we’re going yet.”
Oklahoma State softball shuts out Arizona in Game 1 of NCAA Tournament super regional
Scott WrightThe Oklahoman
STILLWATER — Karli Godwin’s home run had not yet landed beyond the left field wall when Oklahoma State softball coach Kenny Gajewski began jogging up the baseline.
No, not the home run the Cowgirl first baseman hit Friday night to spark an offensive explosion in fifth-seeded OSU’s 8-0 run-rule win over unseeded Arizona in the Game 1 of the best-of-three Stillwater Super Regional at Cowgirl Stadium.
Friday’s homer was the first of three for the Cowgirls in a two-inning span — from Godwin, Claire Timm and Micaela Wark — as the Cowgirls scored early and often, supporting another dominant outing from senior pitcher Lexi Kilfoyl.
But the homer that led to Gajewski’s unplanned calisthenics came during Thursday’s batting practice, when he saw a plethora of hard hits from many of his players — but none from Godwin.
So Gajewski challenged his power-hitting freshman with a bet. Hit a homer and he’d run a lap around the outfield.
Gajewski ultimately had to make two trips around the outfield on Thursday, and probably would’ve done another Friday if not for the ongoing game.
“I got under her skin a bit, and she got me back,” Gajewski said. “We have fun. I like to poke and prod them. I like to challenge them. And that’s what I think helps them at times.”
Godwin agreed the mid-practice needling from her coach, and the home run challenge that followed, sparked her.
“Sometimes I need to get mad and work through things,” Godwin said. “I think that’s what it did in a fun way. I think it helped me.”
Gajewski said Godwin’s pregame batting practice Friday was much smoother than a day earlier, and her stats showed it.
Playing in her first career NCAA Super Regional, Godwin finished 2 for 2 with three RBIs, including an RBI single in the first inning that Gajewski considered “the most impressive one, if you want to know the truth in my mind,” he said. “Getting the base hit up the middle was huge.”
Godwin is 5 for 12 with two home runs and five RBIs in her first NCAA postseason and now has 15 homers for the year.
OSU can clinch its fifth straight trip to the Women’s College World Series with a win in Game 2, set for 6 p.m. Saturday.
Here are three takeaways from the Cowgirl victory:
'Big-game Tallen'
OSU sophomore Tallen Edwards had four hits over her final 36 at-bats of the regular season, but she has quietly come to life in the postseason.Of course, she wasn’t so quiet on Friday.
After Jilyen Poullard led off the bottom of the first inning with a walk, Edwards laced a double down the right field line, moving Poullard to third.
That set up OSU’s first run of the game when Caroline Wang hit a sacrifice fly to left field.
Then Edwards came around to score, sliding headfirst into home plate just ahead of the tag, on a single by Godwin. She finished the game 1 for 2 with a walk and two runs scored, and is now 7 for 13 in the postseason, having hit safely in every game.
From her spot at third base, Edwards ended one of Arizona’s few scoring opportunities In the top of the second when she zipped to her left to glove a hard grounder. She smoothly spun and threw perfectly off one foot for the final out of the frame.
“The bigger the moment, Tallen can rise up and be whoever she wants to be,” Gajewski said. “She gets caught up at times looking at her average, looking at things that don’t matter.
“I knew Tallen would be here today. I could see it. It’s big-game Tallen. She just steps up and she loves the moment.”
Cowgirls pour it on with homers
OSU’s two first-inning runs gave a bit of comfort, and Godwin’s homer in the third added even more. But that was just the start of the onslaught.Timm launched her ninth home run of the season to right-center field, and Wark followed immediately with a homer to left.
From there, OSU added three more runs with RBIs from Megan Bloodworth, Godwin and Rosie Davis to extend the lead to 8-0 in the bottom of the fourth, handing the game to Kilfoyl to finish off.
While the Cowgirls’ big number came in the fourth inning, the hitters always sensed it was coming.
“From Jil’s walk, and then she scored, I think we were going from there and it never stopped,” Wark said, referencing Poullard’s leadoff walk in the first. “I think that’s why we shut the game down. It started from the beginning.”
Arizona coach Caitlin Lowe opted to start her No. 2 pitcher, Miranda Stoddard, but turned to her top arm, Aissa Silva, in the third. Ali Blanchard, who had pitched just 24 innings all season, also saw some action.
But OSU had a response for each of them.
“The offense, they were relentless,” Gajewski said. “It was the Cowgirl way, and it was really cool. A lot of walks, a lot of baserunners, a lot of pressure.”
Kilfoyl on cruise control
Kilfoyl turned in her fourth straight impressive postseason performance, allowing three hits while striking out three.She was dominant in pitching 19 of 21 possible innings during the Stillwater Regional last weekend, and nothing seemed to change Friday.
Kilfoyl walked one batter, her first free pass of the postseason, but only once did a Wildcat baserunner reach third.
OSU coach Kenny Gajewski will have a decision facing him Saturday. He can go back to his ace once again, or try to give the Wildcats a different look with someone from his bullpen, either Ivy Rosenberry or Kyra Aycock.
Kilfoyl threw just 67 pitches, after having five days off, so she remains an option if Gajewski wants to use her again.
“Lexi’s a horse,” he said. “She’s the example of what an ace is.
“We haven’t even talked about (Saturday) yet. Ivy needs to throw, to be very honest. We can’t go another week where she doesn’t get enough work. We can’t ride one arm here. I’m gonna talk to (pitching coach Carrie Eberle) and the staff, but I really don’t know where we’re going yet.”
