Texas Tech Softball Overcomes 7-Run Deficit to Complete Sweep of Oklahoma State with 8-7 Win Sunday

Texas Tech completed the series sweep of Oklahoma State with an 8-7, extra inning, walk-off win on Sunday afternoon at Rocky Johnson Field.

“We just continued to do what we have been doing all series,” head Texas Tech softball coach Adrian Gregory said. “Kacy Freeze threw a great game through the first three innings. She was getting us handcuffed at the plate, but we made an adjustment and starting getting the barrel to the ball and things started to turn around for us.”

The Red Raiders found themselves trailing the Cowgirls 7-0 heading to the home half of the fourth. Staring down their second largest home deficit of the season, Susan Welborn basted a three run homer to right that scored Kiana Workman and Jessica Hartwell to break up the Cowgirl no-hitter.  

Texas Tech added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth as Kierra Miles brought in Kiani Ramsey with an RBI single, before Brittany Warnecke was brought in on a bases loaded walk to move the score to 6-7 heading to the sixth.

With neither team able to produce a run in the sixth, the Red Raiders needed to find a spark to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh. The Cowgirls would aide in the comeback as Oklahoma State pitcher, Brandi Needham, walked two of the first three batters she faced in the inning to bringing Kirsten Schwirtlich to the plate with runners on first and second with no outs. Schwirtlich doubled to left on the second pitch she saw to score Camaury Washington, who pinch ran for Warnecke, from second tying the game at 7-7.

After holding the cowgirls scoreless in the top of the eighth, Ramsey delivered the biggest hit of the day to score Karli Hamilton from second and give the Red Raiders their second walk-off win of the weekend, 8-7.

“It all starts with our dugout,” Ramsey said. “Our dugout has such amazing energy all the time and they are always there to pick us up. Knowing that our team believes in each other just keeps us up. We never had a moment where we didn’t think we could come back and win today.”

With the win, the Red Raiders improved to 17-19 on the season including an unblemished 3-0 record in Big 12 play. The win also marked the second consecutive season’s that the Red Raiders have swept the Cowgirls. Sunday’s win was the first extra inning win for the Red raiders in the 2016 season.

Texas Tech played in front of one of the largest crowds of the 2016 season on Sunday as 902 fans packed Rocky Johnson Field to see Texas Tech complete the series sweep.

“It matters,” Gregory said of the crowd. “Anytime you have an atmosphere like today, the wind is going to be in your sails. The atmosphere was fantastic today. It really does matter for us that people are out here getting excited and cheering on our kids. It fuels us, so we absolutely thank them.”  

The Red Raiders will continue Big 12 play next weekend as Texas Tech will travel to Austin to face the Texas Longhorns at Red & Charline McCombs Field. First pitch for the three-game series against the Longhorns is set for 6 p.m. Friday night. Fans can follow all of the action from the 2016 softball season by following @TTUSB on Twitter.