Oklahoma State sweeps Clemson in NCAA softball super regional, first to clinch WCWS berth

STILLWATER — Before Kenny Gajewski left his house to go to the ballpark on Friday, he had an important decision to make: which hat should he wear?

The Oklahoma State softball coach opted for an unusual choice.

“I’m not wearing a hat today,” he told himself. “I’m gonna get a new hat.”

And by the end of the night, Gajewski proudly wore that new hat, a white one with an OSU logo on the side and the most important message of all stitched across the front — OKC BOUND.

In front of a Cowgirl Stadium-record 1,384 fans, seventh-seeded Oklahoma State finished off a sweep of 10th-seeded Clemson in the second game of a best-of-three NCAA Super Regional with a 5-1 win Friday night that secured OSU’s spot in the Women’s College World Series.

More: Why did Katelynn Carwile pick Oklahoma State softball at age 13? 'When you know, you know'

Next week, the Cowgirls (46-12) will head to USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium for a third consecutive appearance in the WCWS and the 14th in program history.

While Clemson sputtered defensively on Friday, committing three second-inning errors that led to three Cowgirl runs, OSU was spotless on defense behind its potent pitching combo of Morgan Day and Kelly Maxwell.

“It’s been vital to our success,” Day said of the Cowgirl defense. “It’s a great feeling knowing that when the ball gets put in play, and I’m able to execute the pitches that Coach John (Bargfeldt) is calling, that I know they’re gonna make a play on it.”

Day earned the win to improve to 13-4 on the season, allowing one run on five hits with four walks and five strikeouts through 5 ⅓ innings pitched before handing the ball to Maxwell.

The junior left-hander continued her postseason dominance, closing the door on Clemson (42-17)by striking out the second, third and fourth batters in the lineup to earn her third save of the season. The final strikeout set off a wild celebration on the infield, with fireworks exploding beyond the left field fence.

Maxwell has pitched 20 ⅔  innings in the NCAA Tournament, allowing no runs on six hits and two walks with 41 strikeouts.

Including the Big 12 Tournament, the Cowgirls have won eight straight postseason games, committing just three errors in the process, and that sparkling defense is a big reason for their recent surge. Prior to the super regional, OSU was ranked third nationally and tops among remaining NCAA Tournament teams with a .981 fielding percentage.

More: Kelly Maxwell, Oklahoma State shut down Clemson in NCAA softball Super Regional opener

During the five-game losing streak at the end of the regular season — with two losses at Florida State and three at OU — the Cowgirls had five errors, virtually all of which led to game-deciding runs.

“I think that was probably a good thing, looking back,” Gajewski said. “You feel like in three to four of those games, we really just gave them away. Somebody took it, too, but it was easy to coach that. It was easy to get our attention, because there’s no way that we can win the way we want to win and play that kind of defense.

“We’ve been a top 1, 2 or 3 team in defense all year long, and we work hard at that. We’ve got a lot of seasoned kids who’ve played a lot of innings. It was easy to get their attention.”

In the eight games since that rough stretch, OSU has made three errors in eight games — two in the 4-3 win over OU in the Big 12 Tournament final and another in Thursday’s 2-0 win over Clemson. But none that cost the Cowgirls a victory.

“They were correctable things,” Gajewski said. “We were unsure and we didn’t look like us. It takes these type of talented kids to be able to bounce back and not let it affect them.

“I’m so glad we played those games and I’m so glad we fumbled around some, because it really helped us to get locked back in.”

OSU senior Chyenne Factor had two more runs batted in on Friday — on her 23rd birthday — bringing her postseason total to 10, and Karli Petty continued to swing a hot bat, providing an insurance run with a solo homer.

With the offense, defense and pitching coming together, the Cowgirls seem primed for the opportunity that presents itself in OKC, where they’ll face the winner of the super regional between Arizona and Mississippi State (Arizona leads the series 1-0) in Thursday’s opening round.

“I think right now, we’re meshing as a team at the perfect time,” Day said. “We talk a lot about how the best team doesn’t always win, it’s the team that plays the best. And I think we’re figuring out how we play the best and how to support the person next to you in order to play the best.”

Tramel's ScissorTales: Oklahoma State softball beats Clemson with homegrown offense

No. 7 OSU vs. No. 10 Clemson

NCAA Super Regional at Cowgirl Stadium in Stillwater:

Thursday: OSU 2, Clemson 0

Friday: OSU 5, Clemson 1

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State sweeps Clemson; Cowgirls advance to NCAA softball WCWS