Recap: Softball’s bats go cold as No. 9 Oklahoma State pitches perfect game
On a drizzly night in Stillwater, Oklahoma, North Texas softball suffered a 5-0 loss to No. 9 Oklahoma State University (24-4). Oklahoma State’s graduate RHP Carrie Eberle and redshirt sophomore lefty Kelly Maxwell threw a combined perfect game for the Cowgirls.
“Tonight doesn’t deter us from anything we’re trying to accomplish,” Head coach Rodney DeLong Said. “Oklahoma State is a great team, we just faced two great pitchers and we were overmatched.”
Graduate Gigi Wall started in the circle for the Mean Green (13-7), going 3.1 innings with three strikeouts and surrendering two runs on six hits and losing her fourth game this season. Eberle scored her ninth win after going three innings for the Cowgirls while striking out two and allowing no hits or walks.
Infielder Alysen Febrey got the scoring started for the Cowgirls, ripping an RBI double off Wall in the bottom of the first inning. However, Wall bounced back well, forcing a groundout and striking out power-hitting infielder Hayley Busby to end the first.
After three innings pitched, the Cowgirls chose to preserve Eberle for their Big 12 schedule ahead, bringing in lefty Maxwell from the bullpen.
The score remained 1-0 until the bottom of the fourth when Cowgirls infielder Karli Petty hit a high ball into shallow left, which forced Mean Green shortstop Candain Callahan into making a tough play–which she did not. The ball was caught, then dropped by Callahan as she approached left fielder Molly Rainey, which allowed Petty to advance to second. Later in the inning, Petty would score on a suicide squeeze.
After an infield single by Cowgirls outfielder Avery Hobson, Wall — responsible for the two runners on base — made way for senior pitcher Hope Trautwein.
Trautwein’s second pitch of the game got away from catcher Kalei Christensen, moving both runners into scoring position. A sacrifice bunt by infielder Kiley Naomi led to scoring the Cowgirl’s third run of the contest. Trautwein got out of the fourth by way of strikeout.
Trautwein was steady on the mound until Busby hit her eighth home run of the season with two outs in the bottom of the fifth.
The Cowgirls later added one more against Trautwein on a Naomi RBI double, making the score 5-0.
Trautwein eventually scored a no-decision after pitching 3.2 innings, striking out five, walking two, and allowing two runs on four hits.
Maxwell closed out the Mean Green in the top of the seventh by forcing catcher Tarah Hilton to fly out to right field, completing the combined perfect game.
“We have our eyes set on what we want to accomplish,” DeLong said. “We’re going to go to work and get prepared for conference play next weekend.
Up Next: North Texas softball travels to Abilene, Texas to take on Abilene Christian University (6-18) on March 30.
Featured Image: Junior Tayla Evans prepares to hit the ball during a game against Abilene Christian on Feb. 23, 2021. Image by Preston Rios
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