Bronchos Complete Series Sweep of UNK

4/14/2013 7:20:00 PM

Matt Johnson

Box Score

EDMOND (April 14) – The top four batters in the Central Oklahoma order accounted for 10 hits, nine runs and nine runs batted in to lead the Bronchos to a wild 15-11 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics victory over Nebraska-Kearney Sunday afternoon at wind-blown Wendell Simmons Field.

The two teams combined for 36 hits – including 11 home runs – in the contest, which gave UCO a sweep of the three-game weekend series. The Bronchos finished with a season-high 17 hits, including five doubles and five homers.

Lead-off hitter Tyler Crabtree scored four runs in addition to clubbing a pair of solo homers and the next three hitters were equally as effective to lead UCO's offensive attack. Matt Johnson had two homers, four RBI and two runs scored, Cesar Wong went 3-for-5 with a homer, two runs and two RBI and Wacey Henderson had three hits, a run and an RBI.

“Our guys competed well and had a really solid weekend offensively,” said head coach Dax Leone, whose team improved to 22-16 overall and 18-15 in the league. “It was definitely a tough day to pitch, but we managed to make pitches in the biggest moments of the game.”

Ethan Sharp, Kylar Trumbla and Taylor Pierce all saw action on the mound for the Bronchos, who limited UNK to one run over the final three innings in earning their fourth straight win.

The fireworks started in UCO's first at bat when Crabtree and Johnson opened the bottom of the first with back-to-back solo blasts, though the Lopers came back to tie it with single runs in the second and third innings.

Wong had an RBI double and Matt Malloy a run-scoring single in a two-run third to give the Bronchos a 4-2 lead, but UNK erupted for five runs in the top of the fourth to go on top 7-4.

UCO answered right back with four runs of their own in the bottom half of that inning to regain the lead, the big blow coming on Johnson's three-run dinger to center field. Robbie Hoffman's sacrifice fly in the fifth made it 9-7 before the Lopers went back in front with three runs in the sixth.

Henderson's RBI single in the bottom of the sixth tied it again and the back-and-forth battle continued when UNK went ahead 11-10 in the top of the seventh.

The Bronchos finally took the lead for good in their next at bat, getting a two-run double from Ryan Stoup to go in front before Crabtree's second solo shot of the day made it 13-11.

UCO added two insurance runs in the eighth as Wong led off with a homer to left field and Eric Garza added a sacrifice fly.

The Bronchos continue league play with a Tuesday doubleheader at Missouri Southern before returning home to host Hillsdale Baptist Thursday.

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