Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

KINGSVILLE, Texas (March 6) -- Luke Yost smacked a two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning to lift Central Oklahoma to an 8-6 first-game victory over Texas A&M-Kingsville here Friday as the Bronchos earned a split of the Lone Star Conference doubleheader.

Yost also homered in the second game, but it wasn't enough to keep UCO from dropping a 5-3 decision.  The Bronchos, now 9-11 on the year and 6-8 in the league, take on the Javelinas in another doubleheader Saturday afternoon.

UCO trailed 4-2 through three innings of the opener before grabbing a 5-4 lead in the fourth on Yost's three-run double.  Blake Mitchell added a run-scoring single in the fifth to make it 6-4, but TAMUK tied it with two runs in the sixth.

Neither team threatened in the seventh, forcing UCO's eighth extra-inning game in 18 contests this season.  Yost put the Bronchos on top in the top of the eighth when he hit a shot over the left field wall to score Nate Mitani who had reached base on a one-out single.

Brian Murphy then closed out a complete-game pitching outing in the bottom of that frame, striking out the last two batters with one runner on base.  Murphy scattered nine hits while walking four and striking out eight to pick up the win.

Yost finished 4-for-4 with five RBI to pace the Bronchos, while Mitchell and Mitani had two hits apiece.

The Javelinas led 5-0 after seven innings of the nine-inning nightcap, but UCO made it interesting in the end.  The Bronchos got on the scoreboard with Kellin Sheets' RBI single in the eighth and pulled within 5-3 in the ninth on a two-run homer by Yost, but TAMUK held on.

Brent Hodge went 3-for-5 to lead UCO's offense, with Yost and Sheets collecting two hits each.