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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Gibson Russ
Gibson Russ
2
Minnesota St. MINNST 46-11
3
Winner Central Oklahoma UCO 36-20-1
Minnesota St. MINNST
46-11
2
Final
3
Central Oklahoma UCO
36-20-1
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Minnesota St. MINNST 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 8 1
Central Oklahoma UCO 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 X 3 7 0

W: Hyde, Greg (4-2) L: Belzer, Nick (6-2) S: Russ, Gibson (15)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Chris Brannick

Bronchos edge Minnesota State

EMPORIA, Kan. – The University of Central Oklahoma baseball team once again extended its season with a 3-2 win over Minnesota State in an elimination game at the NCAA Central Regional Final Sunday at Glennen Field.

The Bronchos will play St. Cloud State in another elimination game Sunday at 5:30 p.m. The winner of that game will play Lindenwood Monday at 11 a.m. in the Central Regional Final.

"One game at a time," UCO head coach John Martin said. "That's what I keep telling them. We keep fighting and I'm proud of these guys for the way they're getting it done. We got to keep that up again."

J.J. Rogers got the start Sunday for the Bronchos and finished with a solid six innings of work and four strikeouts. He allowed six hits and two runs.

Minnesota State jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead with a solo home run to left field with two outs in the top of the first inning.

The Bronchos tried to answer in the bottom half of the inning. Korey Floyd hit a single, so did Dayne Sommer. Then Kyle Miskovsky drew a walk to load the bases with one out. But Jon Kamies struck out and Anthony Alvarez grounded into a fielder's choice to end the inning with the Bronchos still down by a run.

The second inning was a 1-2-3 inning for both teams.

Minnesota State added its second hit of the game in the top of the third and it had the same as the first hit, a solo home run to left field.

UCO continued to struggle on offense, going 1-2-3 in the third inning, and leaving the only runner it had standing on first base in the fourth inning.

But Rogers continued to work an effective outing, keeping the Bronchos in the game as he worked through the fifth.

Caleb Peters led off the bottom of the fifth for the Bronchos. He looked at one strike, and had a foul ball called on him as his check swing grazed the second pitch. The next pitch, Peters jacked his second home run of the tournament to deep center field to make it 2-1.

Rogers got the Bronchos through six, but UCO couldn't capitalize in the bottom of the sixth and headed to the seventh still down 2-1.

Greg Hyde entered the game in top of the seventh in relief of Rogers. He came out firing, striking out the first three batters he faced.

The Broncho bats were inspired. Alvarez led off the bottom of the seventh with a double to deep right field. Trae Smith followed with a single up the middle on the first pitch he saw, scoring Alvarez and tying the game 2-2.

Peters then laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Smith up to second. The pitcher threw the ball into center field on the play and with no outs, UCO had runners on first and second.

Justin Brown then reached on a fielder's choice, leaving runners on the corners as Peters was out at second.

T.J. Sparr pinch-hit for Jake Dyer next, and while at the plate, Brown took off for second. Minnesota State's catcher threw down to second and Brown stopped and retreated back to first, but his hesitation allowed Smith to score and the Bronchos took the lead, 3-2.

Gibson Russ came on to pitch for Hyde in the top of the eighth with two outs. Hyde got a ground out and a strikeout before allowing his first baserunner in six at bats.

Russ then gave up a double to his first batter. However, Kamies fielded the ball in left field and as the Minnesota State runner – who was a pinch-runner – tried to score all the way from first, Kamies threw him out and the Bronchos got out of the inning.

UCO went three-up, three-down in the bottom of the eighth and Russ returned to get the save for the Bronchos in the ninth, retiring the first three batters he faced. Russ struck out the first and got to fly-outs to earn his 15th save of the season.

UCO managed just seven hits on the day. Sommer had two of them.

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: Minnesota State 6, Arkansas-Monticello 5
Sunday's Games
G11: Lindenwood 10, St. Cloud State 8
G12: Central Oklahoma 3, Minnesota State 2
G13: Central Oklahoma vs. St. Cloud State
Monday's Games
G14: Lindenwood vs. Winner G13, 11 a.m.
x-G15: Winner G14 vs. Loser G14, 2:30 p.m.
x-if necessary; Game 15 necessary if loser of game 14 has one loss

 
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