Box Score
CHICKASHA, Okla. (March 31) – John Bryant and Luke Yost combined for eight hits, four home runs and 11 runs batted in to ignite a 23-hit attack that carried Central Oklahoma to a wild 22-17 victory over Science and Arts of Oklahoma here Wednesday afternoon.
The Bronchos rallied from an 8-2 deficit in the slugfest that featured a combined 46 hits, including 25 for extra bases. UCO had seven homers, four doubles and two triples in the contest.
Bryant went 4-for-6 with two homers, a double and six RBI, while Yost was 4-for-7 with two homers, a double, a triple and five RBI. The Bronchos scored in seven of the nine innings, pushing across 20 runs in the final six frames to overcome USAO's 8-2 lead through three innings.
UCO improved to 10-17 on the year while dropping the Drovers to 22-10. The Bronchos resume Lone Star Conference play Friday, hosting Tarleton State for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.
“It was obviously a good day to be a hitter today,” UCO coach Wendell Simmons said. “The wind was a big factor and the ball was really carrying, but we came up with some big hits in key situations and beat a really good team today.”
The Bronchos trailed 8-2 after three innings, but got back in the contest with two runs in the fourth and three in the fifth. Ryan Schoonover drilled a two-run homer and Bryant had an RBI double in the fifth to pull UCO within 8-7.
USAO got one run back in the bottom of the fifth, but Casey Bruns had a three-run homer, Tucker Brown a two-run double and Yost an RBI triple in a six-run sixth that gave UCO a 13-9 lead.
Yost added a two-run homer and Taylor Brown a solo shot in the seventh to up the advantage to 16-9 and it was a 21-12 UCO lead after the top of the eighth when Bryan ripped a three-run homer and Yost another two-run bomb.
The Drovers tried to get back in the contest with five runs in the bottom of the eighth that made it 21-17, but the Bronchos added another run in their final at bat and USAO had no answer in the bottom of the ninth.
