TEMPE, Ariz. – A walk-off home run from Chyenne Factor (Seminole) was the defining moment of the No. 5/4 Oklahoma State softball team’s 4-3 victory over Utah at the Kajikawa Classic Friday.
The Cowgirls suffered a 4-0 setback at the hands of the reigning ACC champions, No. 20 Duke, earlier in the day.
With Friday’s results, OSU sits at 2-1 on the season.
In game one of the day, preseason All-American Miranda Elish took the loss despite striking out six Duke batters. She allowed two runs in 5.1 innings of work, but the OSU offense was held scoreless on only three hits against Blue Devil star pitcher Peyton St. George.
Day went right back to work as the starting pitcher for Oklahoma State’s game with Utah. In her first start as a Cowgirl, she fanned six Utah batters over four innings.
In game two, the Utes took an early lead on a pair of home runs from Ellessa Bonstrom in the first and again in the fourth. Utah plated another before closing out fourth to take a 3-0 lead.
The Cowgirl bats came alive in their half of the fourth: a double from Taylor Tuck and a two-RBI double from Avery Hobson highlighted a three-run inning to tie the game.
Coming on in relief in the fifth, Kelly Maxwell shut down the Utes at the plate. She struck out five and allowed a single hit in three innings of work.
The game was won with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, when Factor stepped up and blasted her second home run of the young season to center.