OKLAHOMA CITY –  Oklahoma State put up a 6-1  win over No. 3 seed Texas, sending No. 2 seed OSU to tomorrow’s final of the 2022 Phillips 66 Big 12 Softball Championship to face No. 1 Oklahoma.
 
Morgan Day (10-6), a transfer after a four-year career at Illinois State, threw a complete-game four-hitter with 15 flyouts, four groundouts and finally recorded her only strikeout of the game by fanning the final batter, UT’s Jordyn Whitaker.
 
“I’ve never played in this stadium before. The fact that our conference tournament is here is a really cool thing,” Day said, having never played past the regular season at Illinois State. “Having strikeouts is great, but today I really felt a sense of trust, and I really have to credit my defense because I think they trusted that I was going to execute my pitches.”
 
In the bottom of the first inning with OSU’s Chelsea Alexander at third base and Chyenne Factor at second with one out, Miranda Elish chopped a ball right back to the pitcher Dolcini, who caught Alexander between third and home. Texas (38-17-1) third baseman Mia Scott ran Alexander towards home and then threw to catcher Mary Iakopo, who caught the relay already a stride or two up the baseline and tagged Alexander out. However, after Alexander was called out obstruction was ruled on Iakopo, which by rule scored the run for a 1-0 OSU lead. Texas coach Mike White challenged the call to replay, but the play and run were upheld.
 
Meanwhile, the original batter in the play, Elish, advanced to second base, Factor to third.
 
The next batter was Sydney Pennington, who lined a shot to center field and was snagged by UT’s Alyssa Popelka for the second out. Popelka’s throw home was cut off by Dolcini and thrown to second to force out Elish at second base, who had not tagged up, for out number three. Between innings, umpires reviewed the play and ruled that Factor, the runner originally at third base, had scored before the third out was recorded at second base. After arguing the call with umpires Texas head coach Mike White was eventually ejected from the game.
 
“I am an intense competitor by nature, and in the heat of the moment I made a rash decision which I truly regret,” White said in a postgame statement of apology.
 
This is the first year that video replay has been made available at the Big 12 Softball Championship.
 
Texas cut OSU’s lead in half in the top of the fourth inning when Mia Scott hit a solo home run to left field. But the Cowgirls responded in the bottom half of the inning with a Taylor Tuck RBI sac fly and a Brianna Evans RBI on a bunt single.
 
In the sixth, Factor opened up the OSU lead to 6-1 with an RBI single to the center-field fence that scored two.
 
Oklahoma State (40-12) now plays Oklahoma (49-1) in a Bedlam rematch for the Big 12’s postseason title tomorrow. Last year the Sooners run-ruled the Cowgirls in six innings, 10-2. This will be just the fourth time in Big 12 history that the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds will meet for the title. The top seed is 2-1 in those matchups: Oklahoma a year ago against OSU, in 2009 when second-seed Missouri beat the top-seeded Sooners and in 1998 when top-seed Nebraska knocked off second-seed OU.
 
“There is no reason that the fans of both these schools shouldn’t buy every single seat. It’s a great event. We’re lucky to have it here. This is a crazy opportunity, and a great opportunity for the state of Oklahoma to show everyone why this is the Softball Capital of the World,” Oklahoma State head coach Kenny Gajewski said. 

 

2022 Phillips 66 Big 12 Softball Championship
First Round - Thursday, May 12
12 p.m.	Game 1: No. 4 Iowa State 2, No. 5 Baylor 1 (8 inn.)	ESPNU	Box Score Recap
3 p.m.	Game 2: No. 2 Oklahoma State 2, No. 7 Kansas 0	Big 12 Now on ESPN+	Box Score Recap
6 p.m.	Game 3: No. 3 Texas 9, No. 6 Texas Tech 1 (5 inn.)	Big 12 Now on ESPN+	Box Score
Semifinals - Friday, May 13
1 p.m.	Game 4: No. 1 Oklahoma 5, No. 4 Iowa State 0	ESPNU	Box Score Recap
4 p.m.	Game 5: No. 2 Oklahoma State vs. No. 3 Texas	Big 12 Now on ESPN+	Box Score
Championship - Saturday, May 14
2 p.m.	Game 6: No. 1 Oklahoma vs. Game 5 Winner	ESPN2

 
Game times and television networks are subject to change