The No. 7 Cowgirls will come back from Clearwater a little worse for the wear.

After defeating Michigan 4-0 on Friday morning in their first game of the St. Pete Clearwater Elite Invitational, the Cowgirls got run-ruled by LSU 10-2 Friday night, starting what would be a three-game skid. The Cowgirls dropped both games on Saturday, following up a 7-1 onslaught at the hands of Southern Florida with a tight one that came down to the wire against No. 5 Washington.

The Cowgirls have one more game in Florida this weekend, against No. 23 Northwestern on Sunday.

USF 7, OSU 1

The Cowgirls followed up that loss to LSU with another lopsided loss.

OSU ran into a buzzsaw named Georgina Corrick on Saturday morning. Last year’s AAC Pitcher of the Year pitched a complete game, holding the Cowgirls to just three hits and one run, good for a 0.33 ERA.

That one run came off of Chyenne Factor’s third home run of the young season in the top of the fourth. It was the first earned run given up by Corrick in 30 2/3 innings so far this season. But the Bulls answered with a four-run fourth inning and two more in the fifth.

Washington 7, OSU 6

The Cowgirls answered every Washington score, except the last one.

Texas transfer Miranda Elish had her first RBI as a Cowgirl bottom of the third when she singled to centerfield, sending two Cowgirls across the plate to answer a run by Washington pitcher Sara Willis the frame before. Later in the fourth, Sydney Pennington reached on a fielder’s choice, sending Hayley Busby across home plate to give the Cowgirls a 3-1 lead.

With OSU nursing a 3-2 lead, pitcher Kelly Maxwell found herself in trouble at the top of the fifth when an errant throw from centerfield and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with just one out. But the Cowgirls’ ace was able to strike out Washington’s Madi Huskey and Oli Johnson, both looking, with a curve ball and a change-up, respectively, stranding three runners.

In the bottom of the sixth, Elish added another RBI single, scoring Factor to push the Cowgirls’ lead to 4-2. Elish then stepped into the circle to take over for Maxwell, but things didn’t go quite as smoothly. She gave up two runs in the bottom of the six to knot it at 4.

OSU took the lead back in the bottom of the sixth. Chelsea Alexander’s single bounced off the Huskies’ shortstop, allowing Karli Petty to make the lead 5-4, and then Factor’s RBI single sent Kiley Naomi home. Elish gave up a two-run homer to Madi Huskey to tie it back up. Then the Huskies took their first lead of the game, 7-6, on a single and an errant throw.

Washington pitcher Brooke Nelson came into to close it out, and that she did. After a lead-off walk, she retired three-straight Cowgirls, striking out Petty and Naomi. The Huskies moved to 9-0 on the season and dropped OSU to 5-4.

OSU at the St. Pete Clearwater Elite Invitational

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