The Oklahoma State Cowgirl softball team held tight on Sunday and claimed game three of the three game series against Arizona State, 4-0
TEMPE, AZ — In a gritty series finale, the No. 15 Oklahoma State Cowgirls softball team avoided a sweep against the Arizona State Sun Devils, securing a 4-0 victory on Sunday afternoon at Farrington Stadium in Tempe.
Despite dropping the first two games by razor thin margins, OSU’s solid performance in the third game showed their potential in a tightly contested Big 12 series. The Cowgirls improved to 18-9 overall and 2-4 in conference play, while ASU fell to 22-7 and 3-3.
The three-game set began on Friday with a pitchers’ duel that extended into extra innings. Oklahoma State struck first in the fifth when third baseman Rosie Davis launched a two-run homer to center, scoring Macy Graf and giving the Cowgirls a 2-0 lead. However, ASU responded immediately as shortstop Brooklyn Ulrich tied it with a two-run shot of her own, plating Yazzy Avila. The game remained deadlocked until the eighth, when Kaylee Pond delivered a walk-off solo homer for the Sun Devils, sealing a 3-2 win.
OSU ace Ruby Meylan was solid in the loss, tossing seven innings with eight strikeouts while allowing five hits and three earned runs. For ASU, starter Kenzie Brown fanned 14 Cowgirls over seven innings, but reliever Meika Lauppe earned the win. Davis led OSU’s offense with her homer, while Pond and Ulrich powered ASU’s five-hit attack.
Saturday’s middle game followed a similar script of close calls and timely power. ASU jumped ahead 1-0 in the first on Samantha Swan’s RBI double scoring Avila. OSU tied it in the second with center fielder Jayelle Austin’s solo homer to right. The Sun Devils regained the lead in the third, capitalizing on an Aubrey Jones error at shortstop for two unearned runs via Katie Chester’s RBI groundout. The Cowgirls fought back in the fourth, as designated hitter Amanda Hasler homered and Jones doubled in Austin to knot it at 3-3.
OSU briefly led 4-3 in the fifth on Lexi McDonald’s RBI single scoring Karli Godwin, but ASU answered with Chester’s solo homer and pinch-hitter Ryan Brown’s go-ahead blast in the sixth for a 5-4 final. Lauppe again claimed the win with a complete game, allowing three earned runs on eight hits. OSU’s Rylee Crandall took the loss after four innings, yielding three earned runs. Austin and Hasler each homered for the Cowgirls, while Chester went 1-for-2 with two RBI for ASU.
Sunday’s shutout was a total show from Meylan, who rebounded to defeat the Sun Devils. The junior right-hander delivered a complete game gem, surrendering just two hits and one walk while striking out six in 91 pitches. Her command was impeccable, inducing seven groundouts and eight flyouts to keep ASU off the board. Offensively, OSU capitalized on errors and timely hitting.
In the second, Davis doubled to right-center for two RBI, scoring Jayden Jones and Austin (both unearned due to an Avila error at third).
The Cowgirls added insurance in the fifth: Godwin’s infield single plated Davis, and a wild pitch from Brown scored pinch-runner Gabby Castillo. Davis finished 1-for-3 with two RBI and a run, while Godwin contributed an RBI single.
Brown took the loss for ASU, allowing two earned runs on four hits over five innings with seven strikeouts but hurt by two wild pitches and a hit batter.
Though Oklahoma State lost the series 2-1, the narrow defeats, both by a single run, highlighted how evenly matched these teams were. Either contest could have swung the other way with one fewer mistake or one more clutch hit, showing the Cowgirls’ competitiveness in the Big 12.
OSU’s pitching staff combined for 14 strikeouts across the series, while their offense managed 16 hits and five extra-base knocks.
Looking ahead, the Cowgirls return to action on Tuesday, March 17, with a midweek road tilt against Grand Canyon University in Phoenix.
They’ll aim to build momentum before hosting Texas Tech for a three-game series starting March 20 in Stillwater.
With Meylan anchoring the rotation and hitters like Davis heating up, OSU remains a threat in a loaded conference.