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reliever Luke Savage kept the damage minimal, holding OSU to just two runs.
Big 12 Co-Freshman of the Year Nolan Schubart concluded OSU’s scoring on Sunday with a three-run home run over the right field wall, into the TCU bullpen.
“I think (Schubart’s) home run helped us get back at them a little,” Holliday said. “But we couldn’t do it.”
OSU utilized six pitchers on Sunday, scrambling for available arms to get the team through. As a result, OSU had to dig deep into the bullpen.
Freshman Dominick Reid made his first appearance since March 22, throwing two innings and surrendering just one earned run.
Redshirt junior Riley Taylor also made his first live-game appearance in five seasons at OSU, throwing two innings. The former walk-on’s lone blemish was a two-run home run.
In the middle of the seventh inning, NCAA Regional hosting sites were announced, and O’Brate Stadium was listed. Now, the Cowboys await their official national seeding during the selection show Monday at 11 a.m.
“We’re honored to find out (we are hosting),” Holliday said. “We’re super excited and appreciative of the recognition for our overall season and body of work.
“There was a lot of great baseball played here over the last five, six days. [I’m] super proud of my team, I’ll tell you that. From the time we arrived we played six ballgames in a very short amount of time against high level opponents. My team gave it everything they had in literally every way possible: physically, mentally, emotionally.” sports.ed@ocolly.com
Chandler Prater transfers to OSU, becomes sixth transfer for Hoyt
Remaining players:
Hannah Gusters
Anna Gret Asi
Lior Garzon sports.ed@ocolly.com
It’s been a few weeks since OSU coach Jacie Hoyt added a player to next season’s roster, but now she’s added another former Kansas Jayhawk.
On Sunday, Chandler Prater announced her commitment to the Cowgirls via her Twitter, becoming the sixth addition through the transfer portal for OSU.
Prater, a guard, joins the Cowgirls with one year of eligibility remaining, following four years at Kansas.
Prater started 33 games last season as a Jayhawk, averaging nine points and six rebounds per game.
Prater helped lead Kansas to a WNIT Championship in April and collected 18 points, nine rebounds and four steals in a win over OSU in late February.
Praise Egharevba
Landry Williams
Transfers:
Quincy Noble
Rylee Langerman
Ioanna Chatzileonti
Kennedy Fauntleroy
Ale’Jah Douglas
Chandler Prater
Incoming
Freshman:
Stailee Heard
Mai Gailbraith
Brenna Butler
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The Cowgirls (46-14) got on the board early with a Kiley Naomi RBI single that sent Rachel Becker home in the top of the first. Gajewski knew his squad had to come out with energy because the Ducks had everything to lose.
“Oregon will have blood in their eyes, so you better be ready,” Gajewski said. “It felt good to score first, to be honest.”
After one run in the top of the first, it was a defensive battle for three and a half innings, with neither team able to send anyone home.
Maxwell kept dealing, and the Cowgirl bats suddenly lost the energy they came out with. But they came back in the fifth inning in immense fashion.
Kattie Lott, who has pinch-hit in the last three games for the Cowgirls, sent Haidyn Sokoloski home on what was originally called an out at home plate, but upon further review, it was overturned due to Oregon catcher Terra McGowen obstructing Sokoloski’s path to the plate.
McGowen didn’t have many thoughts on the obstruction rule following the game.
“I don’t really have any thoughts; I didn’t make the rule,” McGowen said.
What followed Sokoloski’s run was an offensive onslaught from the
Cowgirls, who poured it onto the Ducks (38-17) in a six-run fifth inning.
Becker sent two home on an RBI single, and Kiley Naomi hit a three-run homer to the left field deck.
Naomi went 4-4 on the game, totaling four RBI and two runs, carrying over her performance over from Thursday night’s game, where she got the Cowgirls on the board with a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth.
Naomi’s three-run home run was the 47th of her career, tying Sydney Pennington’s school record.
Unlike Maxwell, she didn’t know about her potential accomplishment.
“I didn’t even know that,” Naomi said. “So, I think just not even thinking about that stuff, just going up there, putting up good swings on good pitches, and letting the results happen.”
In the top of the seventh, a pair of doubles from Morgyn Wynne and Katelynn Carwile added two more runs to the Cowgirl lead, en route to shutting out the Ducks and ending their season a half inning later.
For Gajewski, seeing the program he took over eight years ago clinch a fourth-consecutive WCWS berth doesn’t get old; it never will. His team’s ticket has been punched, and they aren’t done yet.
“It’s special and it’s hard,” Gajewski said on why making the WCWS will always matter to him. “And it doesn’t get any easier because you’ve been to more of ‘em; it actually gets a little bit harder if you let it feel like that. I was driving in here today and I was like, ‘Man, we can go four in a row... that is wild.’” sports.ed@ocolly.com