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Ryan Schoonover

Ninth Inning Rally

Ryan Schoonover
Box Score

EDMOND (Feb. 23) – Luke Yost atoned for a rough outing on the mound with a clutch two-run single in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift Central Oklahoma to a 6-5 victory over Missouri Southern Tuesday afternoon at cold and blustery Broncho Field.

Yost came in to pitch the ninth inning with a 4-2 lead, but the Lions used three hits, an error, a walk and a wild pitch to push across three runs and move in front 5-4.

The Bronchos answered back in their final at bat and Yost delivered the game-winning hit, drilling a two-strike, two-out pitch down the third base line to score two runs and complete the come-from-behind win.

“We made a couple of big mistakes in the ninth to let them get the lead, but fortunately we were able to come back,” head coach Wendell Simmons said.   “We had some guys come through for us at the end when we really needed them to.”

Taylor Brown started UCO's ninth-inning rally with a leadoff single and Tucker Brown reached on an error before Ryan Schoonover's sacrifice bunt moved both runners over.  MSSU got the second out, but then Yost came through with his hard-hit smash down the line.

The Bronchos used nine pitchers in the contest, with each getting one full inning of work, and Yost ended up getting credit for the win.  Taylor Brown went 3-for-5 to lead a 13-hit attack, while Yost and Arrow Cunningham had two hits apiece.

UCO broke on top 1-0 in the bottom of the first when Schoonover drew a two-out walk, stole second and scored on John Bryant's single to right field.  The Lions tied it in the second and went ahead 2-1 in the third, with the Bronchos scoring a pair of two-out runs in the fourth to go on top 3-2.

Jordan Mullin ignited that rally with a single before stealing second and scoring on Taylor Brown's base hit and Tucker Brown put UCO on top with an RBI single.

The Bronchos gained an insurance run in the eighth when Casey Bruns doubled, went to third on Kade Kauk's sacrifice bunt and scored on Cunningham's perfectly executed squeeze bunt.

MSSU overcame that 4-2 deficit with its three-run uprising in the top of the ninth, but UCO was up to the challenge.

The Bronchos, who improved to 3-3 on the year, return to Lone Star Conference action Friday with a 12:30 p.m. home doubleheader against Texas A&M-Kingsville.
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