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OSU Softball: Oklahoma State Hits Three Bombs in the Sixth; Downs Oklahoma

The Cowgirls had four home runs in the contest, with three of them coming in one inning alone.

Nick Friesen

Oklahoma State's Jilyen Poullard (27) celebrates after getting walked in the third inning of a
Oklahoma State's Jilyen Poullard (27) celebrates after getting walked in the third inning of a / BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY

NORMAN – Three home runs in the sixth inning were the difference maker for Oklahoma State on Saturday.

That’s exactly what Claire Timm, Micaela Wark and Jilyen Poullard did in the inning as the Cowgirls took the 6-2 victory over Oklahoma at Loves Field. 

With the win, OSU improves to 44-8, 21-5 in the conference, while OU falls to 45-6, 21-5 in the conference. 

“Kind of a wild game,” OSU coach Kenny Gajewski said. “Kind of tight for five innings, and then we just blew it open in the sixth.”

Both offenses were non-existent through the first five innings, with only four runs combined in the first five innings. 

The Cowgirls exploded in the sixth, with back-to-back bombs from Timm and Wark to start the inning, followed by Poullard smashing a three-run home run to help OSU tae control of the contest. 

“I thought Claire’s (Timm) was the exclamation point,” Gajewski said. “It just kind of shut the crowd down. It was hit so far and high, and this place just went quiet. What a night and just excited for these kids.”

Ivy Rosenberry got the start for OSU, and she dominated, giving up only one run on three hits, two walks and four strikeouts in four innings of work. 

Lexi Kilfoyl came in for Rosenberry in the fifth, and she tamed the Sooners as well, giving up one run on two hits, two walks and three strikeouts in three innings pitched.  

After a near 3 1/2 hour rain delay, both teams' offenses were still trying to find their identity in the contest, but that all changed in the fourth inning.

Oklahoma got on the board first in the fourth as Kasidi Pickering hit an RBI-single to center field, scoring Alyssa Brito and making it 1-0. 

Caroline Wang got it back in the top of the fifth inning, launching a solo shot over the wall in left field, tying the game at 1-1. 

The Sooners would get bases loaded in the bottom half of the fifth, and Kilfoyl would walk Alynah Torres, bringing in Jayda Coleman and giving OU the 2-1 lead. 

OSU would respond in a big way in the sixth inning, and it was all thanks to Timm and Wark. The duo hit back to back home runs in the inning, and the Cowgirls took the 3-2 lead. 

After Lexi McDonald and Megan Bloodworth got on to keep the inning going, Poullard hit the dagger, smashing a three-run home run and increasing the lead to 6-2. 

Kilfoyl would silence OU in the final two innings, securing the series victory for the Cowgirls on Saturday. 

Oklahoma State will look for the series sweep when it finishes the series with Oklahoma on Sunday at 3 p.m. at Loves Field in Norman. 

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Nick Friesen

NICK FRIESEN

Nick is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University, where he also minors Sports Managment. He has covered OSU softball for 107.7 The Franchise and also covers Oklahoma high school football for Enid News & Eagle.