Oklahoma Stunned in Stillwater
STILLWATER - For the first time in 57 outings, the Oklahoma Sooners have lost a Big 12 Conference regular season game.
In an atmosphere worthy of Bedlam, the No. 7-ranked Oklahoma State Cowgirls upset the No. 1 Sooners 6-4 on Friday night inside Cowgirl Stadium.
With a stadium pushing COVID capacity, the Sooner and Cowgirl fans went back and forth all night as the teams battled on the field.
Between the lines, the first Bedlam battle of the season was a lesson in the long ball, as all 10 runs scored were driven in off of a home run.
After a cagey first inning, Kinzie Hansen was the first Sooner to reach base, leading off the second inning with a hard-hit single to left field.
In the ensuing at-bat, true freshman Jayda Coleman introduced herself to the Bedlam series. The Sooner center fielder lined Carrie Eberle’s 3-1 offering over the left field fence to put OU up a pair.
But in the bottom half of the second, the Cowgirls struck back.
With two outs, catcher Reagan Wright sent the softball to the same spot in the parking lot as Coleman’s blast, pulling Oklahoma State back to within one after the second inning.
One frame later, Jocelyn Alo would extend the OU lead with a towering home run.
Bringing home Tiare Jennings who reached base on a walk, Alo launched a ball outside of the softball complex, nearly hitting a car on the street behind the field.
The Bedlam home run bonanza continued in the bottom of the third.
Two-run bombs by both Chyenne Factor and Hayley Busby would nose the Cowgirls in front for the first time, 5-4. The pair of homers knocked OU starter Giselle Juarez out of the game, and freshman Nicole May stepped in to end the threat.
After the pair of home runs, the feel in the stadium flipped from hope to belief. Cowgirl fans doused each other with super soakers beyond the left field fence, willing their team to their first Bedlam win since 2011.
Juarez finished with two strikeouts, allowing five hits and the trio of home runs in 2 1/3 innings of action.
The Cowgirls eventually got to May too, as Kiley Naomi’s leadoff home run in the bottom of the fifth extended OSU’s lead to 6-4.
Heading to the plate with the game on the line, the Sooners didn’t go away quietly in the top of the seventh inning.
Jana Johns’ leadoff single meant Patty Gasso would have a base runner to play with, but a fielder’s choice and a strikeout brought up Alo with the Sooner runner still on first and the team down to its final out.
Eberle walked Alo, but then she cooly closed out the game when she forced Grace Lyons to ground out to end the threat, and the party in Stillwater was on.
The Oklahoma State dugout cleared, rushing the pitching circle in exuberance after finally getting one over on their in-state rivals.
Outside of the two home runs allowed, Eberle navigated the Oklahoma lineup as well as any, striking out one batter while allowing five hits and issuing three walks.
The Sooners will have to rebound in Game 2, or the Cowgirls will snap Oklahoma’s eight-year regular season Big 12 title streak. First pitch from Cowgirl Stadium on Saturday is slated for 3 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.