Box score
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (May 8) – Wacey Henderson blasted his second home run of the game in the top of the 10th inning to lift Central Oklahoma to a thrilling 9-8 victory over Emporia State in the semifinals of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Tournament Thursday night at Hammons Field.
It was Henderson's third homer of the post-season and his second straight game-winner. Henderson, who finished the game 2-for-4 with two homers and three runs batted in, gave the Bronchos a 5-4 win over Nebraska-Kearney last Friday to end that best-of-three series in the first round of the tournament.
UCO improved to 37-15 and moved into Friday's 1 p.m. winner's bracket finals against Missouri Western. The Hornets will play Northeastern State in an elimination contest at 10 a.m.
The Bronchos tried to take the lead in the top of the ninth when Tyler Hatcher attempted to score from second base on a booted ground ball but was thrown out at the plate. Dilon Argo helped preserve the tie in the bottom of that inning when he made a diving catch on a long fly ball that kept the winning run off base.
The game was delayed four hours by rain and it showed as both starting pitchers came out flat.
Emporia State stung UCO's Jared Sterling for four runs in the first inning, though the junior right-hander was able to settle down and went 5 1/3 innings before exiting with the lead.
ESU's Shawn Talkington only allowed three hits against the Bronchos in the regular season meeting, but UCOtagged him for five runs in 2 1/3 innings in knocking him out of the game early.
The Hornets led 4-1 after the first inning when Henderson came up in the second and hit a no-doubter over the left-center field wall for a two-run homer. Phillip Wilson extended his hitting streak to 15 with an RBI single later in the inning to tie the game.
The Bronchos added a run in the third inning on an RBI groundout by Cesar Wong and scored three more in the fourth on run-scoring singles by Wilson and Jake O'Brien to take an 8-5 lead.
The ESU bullpen then quieted the UCO bats, which was enough to allow the Hornets to tie the game with one run in the sixth and two in the seventh.
Wilson came in to pitch in the sixth and went the final 3 2/3 innings to earn the win while also going 3-for-6 at the plate with two RBI.
