North Texas at OSU Box

Season Stats

STILLWATER, Oklahoma - Oklahoma State overpowered the North Texas softball team on Wednesday evening, defeating the Mean Green 13-1 in five innings behind four home runs at Cowgirl Stadium.

"You have to give credit to Oklahoma State because they came out and threw the first punch early," head coach Tracey Kee said. "It's hard to pull any positives when you get beat that bad, but we can learn from it and use it as fire heading into Birmingham."

The loss drops the Mean Green to 21-18 on the season, while OSU improves to 26-15.

Cowgirl ace Brandi Needham secured her 13th win of the season, going three innings allowing one hit with two strikeouts. Logan Simunek and Barbie Biggerstaff each tossed an inning of relief.

OSU jumped on the Mean Green in the opening stanza, plating eight runs highlighted by Randee O'Donnell's inside-the-park grand slam, which kicked off the wall in left center, and Rhylee Bayless' two-run home run to left center.

Then, the Cowgirls added five runs in the third frame, four of which came via two-run home runs by Bayless and Vanessa Shippy.

North Texas put its lone run of the game on the board in the top of the fourth as sophomore Rhylie Makawe was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a passed ball and scored on freshman Nicole Ochotnicki's RBI single into right field.

North Texas put a runner in scoring position in the fifth, but was unable to manufacture a run.

Sophomore Lauren Craine (4-5) was dealt the loss, tossing 2.2 innings, while allowing 13 runs on 11 hits with one strikeout. Senior Jessica Elder finished the game, throwing 1.1 innings.

Quick Hits

• Lauren Craine made her second mid-week start of the season.
• Craine surpassed her inning total from last season (63.1). She has 64.2 on the year.
• North Texas dropped both games of the home-and-home series to OSU this season.
• Bailey Thompson drew her 13th walk of the season in the loss.
• Kelli Schkade has reached safely in each of the last 10 games.

Up Next For North Texas

The Mean Green head to Birmingham, Alabama, for a three-game Conference USA series with the UAB Blazers beginning on Friday at 4 p.m.

"This weekend is important," Kee added. "When you have a bye the last week of the season, you don't have the opportunity to move forward or backwards, so we understand that we need to bring a quality game, while being focused and prepared for a great UAB team that is going to have the same hunger we do."