Why Oklahoma State softball's Lexi Kilfoyl was overwhelmed with emotion ahead of WCWS
STILLWATER — Asked to reflect on playing her final home game as an Oklahoma State softball player, pitcher Lexi Kilfoyl had not yet felt the emotion of an overwhelmingly meaningful moment.
“It still hasn’t hit me yet, but I know it will one day, and it’s gonna be a lot of tears, for sure,” Kilfoyl said Saturday after helping the No. 5-seed Cowgirls clinch a fifth straight trip to the Women’s College World Series.
The “one day” Kilfoyl spoke of arrived precisely 607 seconds later. And she was right. Lots of tears flowed immediately.
As coach Kenny Gajewski spoke about Kilfoyl’s impact on the program over the last two years, the emotions overwhelmed her.
“This whole season, everyone’s been like, ‘Has it hit you yet?’” Kilfoyl said a few minutes later. “And it really just hit me right here. I wasn’t expecting that at all.”
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It started with a squeaky gasp that escaped from her throat as she tried to hold back the flood.
Then the tears broke through, and didn’t stop until after the press conference ended more than 8 ½ minutes later.
More tears could be on the horizon, considering Kilfoyl still has games to play.
It’s unclear if Gajewski will start his top pitcher — who is one of three finalists for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, to be announced Wednesday — when the Cowgirls open the WCWS against fourth-seeded Florida at 8:30 p.m. Thursday at Devon Park.
But Kilfoyl will see the circle regularly this week as OSU chases the program’s first-ever NCAA softball championship. And her pitching ability isn’t her only crucial contribution to the team.
Kilfoyl’s competitive yet relaxed attitude is reflected throughout the roster.
“It feels like we’ve all been so carefree,” she said. “We’re playing our brand of ball and having a blast. I think that’s when everyone plays their best ball, when they’re having fun and not too much stress on our shoulders.
“Everyone dancing in the dugout. Everyone cracking jokes. I think that’s what bonds this team. We can go out and play amazing ball and get our s**t done, but we can also have a good time doing it.”
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Three times the Cowgirls have reached the semifinals, but have yet to advance beyond that. Yet with the way this team has been playing lately, anything seems possible.
From winning two of three games from Bedlam rival OU in early May to outscoring their NCAA Tournament opponents 34-7 over the last two weeks, these Cowgirls look primed for a program-defining run in OKC.
While a core group of power hitters and reliable defenders have helped keep the Cowgirls balanced, Kilfoyl has become their guiding force in her second season at OSU after transferring from Alabama.
She has allowed three earned runs with 27 strikeouts and one walk over 28 innings in the NCAA Tournament. She had three stretches in which she retired at least 15 straight batters.
“I’m so proud of Lexi and the role she’s taken, and just put us on her back,” said Gajewski, who on multiple occasions in recent weeks has referred to Kilfoyl as “the best pitcher in the country.”
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Neither her numbers nor her performance in big moments detract from the statement.
The 6-foot-2 right-hander from Land O’Lakes, Florida, has a 26-3 record and 1.06 ERA over 171 innings, striking out 146 batters and walking just 30.
Kilfoyl can’t pitch every inning for the Cowgirls in the WCWS, but if this team is going to accomplish something special, Kilfoyl will be at the heart of their success.
And she’ll probably cry a little more, too.
“Obviously, it’s sad tears and happy tears,” Kilfoyl said Saturday, wiping her face as she spoke. “I think it’s dawning on me that the days are limited right now and I just played my last game here, which is so sad, but happy at the same time, because I know we’re not done.
“We have a long way to go.”
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Thursday's WCWS games
Game 1: Alabama (37-18) vs. UCLA (42-10), 11 a.m., ESPN
Game 2: Oklahoma (54-6) vs. Duke (52-7), 1:30 p.m., ESPN
Game 3: Stanford (48-15) vs. Texas (52-8), 6 p.m., ESPN2
Game 4: Oklahoma State (49-10) vs. Florida (51-13), 8:30 p.m., ESPN2
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State softball ace Lexi Kilfoyl emotional about WCWS return
