MONROE, La. – It was going to be a gut-wrenching loss, until it wasn’t.
The Oklahoma State Cowgirls won their season opening game on Thursday in Monroe, Louisiana. The No. 10 Cowgirls got down early to No. 18 Arkansas after surrendering two runs in the first inning.
Then, the bats started cooking.
OSU scored four runs in the second inning, two in the third and four in the fourth — all while holding the Razorbacks scoreless.
Graduate student LF Jordan Doggett, graduate student 1B Alysen Febrey and senior RF Michaela Richbourg were the centerpieces of the mid-game scoring surge. The trio combined for seven RBI’s on the day and three HRs.
Their efforts looked like enough to seal the game, but Arkansas stormed back, using a seven-run sixth inning to take a 11-10 lead into the final frame.
In a wild game that featured five errors and nine unearned runs, both teams would have much to ponder in despair if they emerged from the season opener defeated.
Thankfully for OSU, however, they scratched across two runs when it mattered most. After a double by junior outfielder Chyenne Factor tied the game in the seventh inning, sophomore 2B Karli Petty hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield, lifting the Cowgirls to a 12-11 victory.
Now, instead of having to reflect on a blown seven-run lead, the Cowgirls can continue their play in the Best on the Bayou Tournament with a spotless 1-0 record and a ranked win in hand.
