Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. (April 25) – A long and distinguished career came to a fitting conclusion here Sunday afternoon when Central Oklahoma handed retiring head coach Wendell Simmons an 8-7 victory over Northeastern State in his final game.
The Bronchos, who have struggled all year, lost the first game of the doubleheader 7-1 before bouncing back to take the nightcap. The teams were scheduled to meet in another twinbill Monday to end a four-game series, but those games have been cancelled.
UCO finished 13-29, just the fourth losing season in Simmons' 19 years at the helm. Simmons ended his stellar 34-year coaching career with a 1,079-541-1 record, including a 633-374-1 mark with the Bronchos.
“We obviously didn't have the kind of season that everybody was expecting, but it's still nice to go out with a win,” said Simmons, who led UCO to seven NCAA Division II playoff appearances and had the eight winningest seasons in school history. “I've got a lot of great memories of UCO and it's going to be tough to leave. I'm grateful to all my players and assistant coaches who helped us win a lot of games over the years.”
The Bronchos built an 8-3 lead in the second game before holding on in the final two innings. NSU scored twice in the eighth inning to make it 8-5 and was within 8-7 in the ninth with runners on first and third before UCO turned a game-ending double play.
Luke Yost went 3-for-5 to lead a 14-hit attack, while Taylor Brown, Ryan Schoonover and Kade Kauk had two hits apiece. Ryan Wagner started and went the first 5 1/3 innings to earn the pitching win, with Austin Baker going the final 3 2/3 innings in picking up the save.
The RiverHawks led 2-1 through three innings before UCO moved in front to stay with a three-run fourth-inning uprising. Kauk had a two-run double down the left field line and Schoonover added an RBI single as the Bronchos went on top 4-2.
NSU got a run back in the bottom of the fourth, but UCO extended its lead to 7-2 with another three-run inning in the sixth. Kauk had his second double of the contest to drive in one run, while Schoonover and Brown added RBI singles.
The Bronchos added an insurance run in the seventh and it proved vital in the end. Yost led off with a single, went to second on Brady White's base hit and took third on Arrow Cunningham's sacrifice bunt before scoring to make it 8-3 on John Bryant's sacrifice fly.
NSU took control early in the first game, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first. UCO finished with just six hits in the contest.
It was the final game for six seniors – Yost, Baker, Casey Bruns, Kale Murphree, Nate Mitani and David Walker.
