Oklahoma State softball 'looked like a JV team at times' vs. Florida State in WCWS opener

As Kiley Naomi slid into second base, the tag from Florida State’s Devyn Flaherty caught the Oklahoma State baserunner in the face, knocking her helmet off before she reached the bag.

Naomi wasn’t injured, but the Cowgirls were hurting.

Just another sign that Thursday wouldn't be their night at the Women’s College World Series.

Third-seeded Florida State rolled to an 8-0 run-rule victory in six innings over the sixth-seeded Cowgirls in the first-round game twice delayed by rain at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium.

“We looked like a JV team at times,” OSU coach Kenny Gajewski said. “We took really poor at-bats and we just weren’t clean. I don’t know why. I don’t have an answer. But I feel like we’ll respond well.”

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Following a long night that included a rain delay of 1 hour, 20 minutes before the game began, then a stoppage of 1 hour, 46 minutes in the top of the third inning — resulting in the game ending 5 hours and 24 minutes after its originally scheduled start time — the Cowgirls will be back at the ballpark on Friday night with their season on the line.

Because of the delays, the NCAA postponed Thursday’s final opening-round game, between seventh-seeded Washington and 15th-seeded Utah, to noon Friday. OSU will face the loser of that game at 8:30 p.m. Friday in an elimination game.

“I think we’ll play well. I do,” Gajewski said. “This team is special. They’ve been special all year. I have no doubt that we’ll play well. I wish we didn’t have to wait until 8:30, I can tell you that. I wish we could get right back out here and play. These kids will be antsy all day. They’ll be ready.”

Thursday was a night full of frustration for the Cowgirls (46-15), who had their five-game NCAA Tournament winning streak snapped, looking instead like the team that lost 11 of 13 prior to the postseason.

The three primary causes of the late-season skid were walks by the pitching staff, errors in the field and empty at-bats with runners on base. On Thursday, the Cowgirls walked five batters, committed two errors and left six runners on, getting shut out for just the second time all season.

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“We didn’t play well in any facet of the game,” Gajewski said. “I don’t think we can blame the weather or the delays on much. We just weren’t sharp.”

Every time the Cowgirls seemed to find some momentum, Florida State (56-9) snatched it back with a big blow.

OSU pitcher Kelly Maxwell struck out the first two batters she faced, but just missed the strike zone on a 3-2 pitch to walk Kalei Harding. Michaela Edenfield smoked the next pitch over the bleachers in left-center field for a 2-0 lead.

The top of the third inning was delayed after the Cowgirls made their first out on a lineout by Megan Bloodworth, but shortly after the game resumed, they got a two-out walk from Chyenne Factor.

Naomi lined a single to right-center field but was tagged out trying to stretch it to a double. The throw to second base was cut off by Flaherty, who was about 6 feet behind the bag but made an athletic play, leaping to catch the ball, then tagging Naomi to end the inning.

“I saw the ball go high, so I didn’t know if she was gonna be able to catch it or not,” Naomi said of the throw to second base. “I made an error not knowing that there was two outs.

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“I was frustrated with myself there, too, because after that rain delay, I didn’t even check the scoreboard. I thought it was gonna go over her head. She made a really good play.”

Had Naomi been safe, that would’ve put two runners on for cleanup hitter Micaela Wark. Instead, it was a gut punch to the Cowgirls right out of the second delay.

“I didn’t even think there was gonna be a play at two,” Gajewski said. “She’s aggressive and fast. When that happened, I kind of felt the wind come out of us, and we never quite got anything back.

“We just couldn’t get anything going.”

For the bottom of the third, Gajewski chose to go with freshman pitcher Kyra Aycock in place of Maxwell following the nearly two-hour rain delay.

It looked like Aycock was going to avoid a two-on, two-out jam, but an infield error allowed a run to score for a 3-0 FSU lead.

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In the bottom of the fourth, FSU got going with a single, a walk and a groundout to put runners on second and third. No. 9 hitter Josie Muffley laid down a perfect squeeze bunt to score pinch-runner Autumn Belviy for a 4-0 lead.

Then Kaley Mudge lined a home run to left field to make it 7-0. And an infield single by Jahni Kerr scored the game-ending run in the bottom of the sixth.

Florida State ace Kathryn Sandercock had faced OSU on multiple occasions over her career, but Gajewski said Thursday night’s performance was the best they’ve seen from her.

She allowed four hits and walked two with four strikeouts over five innings to improve to 27-3 on the season. Maxwell (16-6) gave up two runs on one hit and two walks over two innings, while Aycock allowed six runs on six hits with three walks and three strikeouts.

“We gotta bounce back,” Gajewski said. “We have the pitching staff, in my mind, to bounce back. We have the team to bounce back. We’ve been in this spot before. I told our team, this is what you love as a coach, is to see what you look like when you’re up against the wall.”

More: Oklahoma State softball in weather delay vs. FSU; Utah-Washington WCWS game postponed

WCWS elimination game

WHO: Oklahoma State vs. Utah-Washington loser

WHEN: 8:30 p.m. Friday

WHERE: USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium

TV: ESPN

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State softball loses to Florida State in weather-delayed WCWS