UCO-ECU Box Score

DURANT, Okla. (May 7) -- A long day ended with a disappointing loss for Central Oklahoma Friday night as the Bronchos were knocked out of the Lone Star Conference Softball Championship with a 2-1 setback to East Central here Friday night.

The Tigers scored a pair of two-out runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to eliminate UCO in the loser's bracket finals, beating the Bronchos for the second time in the tournament.

UCO stayed alive in the consolation round Friday with a 4-1 victory over Southeastern Oklahoma and a 6-4 extra-inning triumph over Midwestern State before falling to ECU.  The Tigers moved on to Saturday's championship finals against Angelo State.

The Bronchos, now 32-19 on the year, find out Monday morning if they will receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II national tournament.

“It was a tough way to end a long day,” UCO coach Genny Stidham said.  “I'm really proud of my team for they way they battled and fought all day long.  We won two hard games to get to tonight and just came up short.”

Molly Shivers took the tough-luck loss against ECU after cruising into the seventh inning.  The senior pitcher allowed only two hits and one walk in the first six innings and got two quick outs to start the seventh before ECU rallied.

A two-out walk and single put runners on first and third, with back-to-back bloop hits pushed across the tying and winning runs.  The first of those landed in short left field just out of the reach of diving third baseman Pebbles Paxson, while the second one fell just in front of sliding center fielder Kayce Raines.

UCO got its lone run in the third when Megan Bentley singled, went to second on a walk to Shivers and scored on Kacie Edwards' base hit to right field.

Edwards and Brittany Weaver had two hits apiece for the Bronchos.