STILLWATER — Three home runs propelled the No. 8 Oklahoma State softball team to a 9-3 victory over Missouri State at Cowgirl Stadium Tuesday night.
The win moves the Cowgirls to 27-5 overall (7-2 in Big 12 play) and pushes Missouri State to 6-20 (2-6 in the Missouri Valley Conference).
OSU got out to a 3-0 lead after two innings before Missouri State got back in it with a pair of runs in the third. Micaela Wark’s sixth home run of the season in tandem with an RBI double from Rosie Davis extended the Cowgirl advantage to 5-2 through four.
MSU answered in the fifth, thanks to a solo home run from Alexis Perales, but the Cowgirls were able to blow the game open in the bottom of the fifth on the strength of two-run home runs from Caroline Wang and Audrey Schneidmiller, respectively, to bring the score to 9-3.
OSU had seven extra base hits in the game and five Cowgirls –Davis, Karli Godwin, Wang, Wark and Schneidmiller – had two hits apiece.
Kyra Aycock improved to 5-2 with the win, allowing one earned run and striking out seven in 4 1/3 innings of work. Ivy Rosenberry picked up the save for Oklahoma State, striking out seven in 2 2/3. Shelby Houchlei took the loss for the Bears, moving to 0-1 on the year.
OSU returns to action when it hosts No. 3/2 Texas at 6 p.m. Thursday for the first of a three-game series at Cowgirl Stadium.