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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Jon Kamies
5
Emporia State ESU 42-13
6
Winner Central Oklahoma UCO 35-20-1
Emporia State ESU
42-13
5
Final
6
Central Oklahoma UCO
35-20-1
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Emporia State ESU 1 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 5 8 1
Central Oklahoma UCO 0 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 1 6 14 1

W: Russ, Gibson (7-1) L: Holman,Seth (11-3)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Chris Brannick

Jon Kamies walk-off extends Broncho season

EMPORIA, Kan. – Jon Kamies isn't ready for his career to end.

The senior outfielder stood at the plate, count full, with one out in the bottom of the ninth, and popped a walk-off RBI single to left center to score Holden Capps, giving Central Oklahoma a 6-5 win over top-seeded Emporia State in the NCAA Central Regional on Saturday night at Glennen Field.

"One more day," Kamies said after the game amidst a swarm of congratulating supporters.

"I keep saying the same thing, but it's been true for every game, these guys just keep fighting," UCO head coach John Martin said. "They aren't ready to be done.

"I'm so happy for Jon too," Martin added. "He honestly hasn't had the best season, but, an All-American for a reason and you saw that tonight."

And so the Broncho season lives for one more day. UCO, facing elimination for the second night in a row, battled back with a ninth-inning rally to extend its season. The Bronchos continue their trek through the NCAA Central Regional at 2:30 p.m. Sunday against Minnesota State.

The Bronchos Saturday entered the ninth inning tied 5-5.

Korey Floyd led off with a single to the second baseman, who missed on the throw to first, allowing Floyd to move up to second base.

That's when Martin went unconventional, and pinch-ran for Floyd with the ace of the Broncho pitching staff. Capps said after the game he played centerfield at Redlands in El Reno so he did have some speed.

Dayne Sommer was up next, but he popped up on a sacrifice bunt attempt for the first out of the inning. Kyle Miskovsky was then intentionally walked to put runners on first and second and improve the chances for Emporia State's defense to possibly turn a double play.

Kamies walked to the batter's box.

He looked a strike, then a ball. Then he swung and missed. After a ball, Kamies fouled one off, watched another ball pass, and fouled two more off, building a little bit of drama.

Emporia State's pitcher Seth Holman then gathered and delivered. Kamies connected. Capps rounded third and darted home, sliding in for the game-winning run. The team stormed Kamies at first base.

Kamies finished Saturday 3-of-5 with one run scored, and one RBI. The RBI.

Central Oklahoma scattered 14 hits on the day. Floyd and Trae Smith each added three hits as well.

Gibson Russ got the win for the Bronchos for the second day in a row after the closer threw one inning, recording one strikeout and getting Emporia to hit into a double play.

Russ, the UCO closer, improved to 7-1 on the season. He also has a school record 14 saves on the season.

Tyler Culver got the start for the Bronchos and finished with 4 1/3 innings and three strikeouts. He allowed six hits and five runs, two of them earned.

Brock Stuber, Ben Wusterbarth and Greg Hyde also worked to keep the Broncho offense in the game.

Emporia State racked up 11 runs in its first game it had to play Saturday and wasted no time getting going in the second game. Ryan McBroom hit a solo home run with two outs in the top of the first to give Emporia State a 1-0 lead. Culver faced five batters in the opening frame and got four fly balls. One the homer, and three to get out of the inning.

The Bronchos went 1-2-3 in the bottom half of the inning, then Culver got a strikeout in a 1-2-3 second inning. Central got its first hit of the game in the second inning on an infield single by Miskovsky. Kamies reached on a fielder's choice on the next at bat as Miskovsky was out at second. But that's all the Bronchos could manage in the second inning.

In the third, Culver allowed a second solo homee and Emporia had a 2-0 lead. But the Bronchos responded.

Caleb Peters led off the third and jacked a shot to deep right center on the first pitch he saw to make it 2-1. It was Peters' team-high seventh homer of the season. Floyd added a two-out single later in the inning but the Bronchos didn't make any more of it and ended the third inning down by a run.

Emporia State responded with a third home run of the game in top of the fourth and this one was a three-run shot to give the Hornets a 5-1 lead.

The Bronchos chipped away at the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Miskovsky led off with a walk, and moved to third on Anthony Alvarez's one-out single. Smith then slapped a single just over the third baseman to score Miskovsky. Alvarez then came in when Brown lined a grounder through the left side, which made it 5-3.

Culver's day ended in the top of the fifth. He allowed a leadoff single and after recording the first out of the inning, UCO went to the bullpen with the senior lefty Stuber, who got the Bronchos through the fifth.

Floyd and Kamies each picked up singles in the bottom of the fifth to kick start a rally for the Bronchos. Alvarez added a third single, which scored Floyd to make it 5-4. Smith added a fourth single in the inning to score Kamies and tie the game.

Stuber got through the sixth unscathed, and after the Bronchos were retired in order in the bottom half of the sixth, Wusterbarth took over on the mound for Central Oklahoma and got through the seventh unscathed.

The trend continued for the Bronchos though in the bottom of the seventh, as UCO went three-up, three-down.

Wusterbarth continued in the top of the eighth and got the first batter to line out to center, but went single, single, walk to follow and the Bronchos made another pitching change, going with Hyde to get out of the jam.

Hyde struck out the first batter and got a 3-1 groundout on the next batter to get out of the inning.

Smith earned an infield single to lead off the bottom of the eighth, but Cole Sanderson popped up to the catcher trying to bunt Smith up to second. Brown struck out and Dyer popped out to right field to end the inning.

Russ then came on to start the ninth inning for the Bronchos. Russ walked the first batter, got the second batter to strike out on a bunt attempt. Then UCO rolled a 4-6-3 double play to head to the bottom of the ninth.

NCAA Central Regional
At Emporia, Kan.
Thursday's Games
G3: Minnesota State 4, Central Oklahoma 0
G2: Lindenwood 14, Southern Arkansas 7
G1: Emporia State 10, Arkansas-Monticello 8
Friday's Games
G4: St. Cloud State 12, Missouri Western 0
G5: Arkansas-Monticello 5, Southern Arkansas 4
G6: Central Oklahoma 5, Missouri Western 2
Saturday's Games
G7: Lindenwood 12, Emporia State 11 (13)
G8: St. Cloud State 9, Minnesota State 4
G9: Central Oklahoma 6, Emporia State 5
G10: Arkansas-Monticello vs. Minnesota State, 7:45 p.m.
Sunday's Games
G11: Lindenwood vs. St. Cloud State, 11 a.m.
G12: Central Oklahoma vs. Winner 10, 2:30 p.m.
G13: Winner 12 vs. Loser 11, 6 p.m.
Monday's Games
G14: Winner G11 vs. Winner G13, noon
x-G15: Winner G14 vs. Loser G14, 3:30 p.m.
x-if necessary; Game 15 necessary if loser of game 14 has one loss
 
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