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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Carrie Abrams
Carrie Abrams
4
Winner Central Oklahoma UCO 11-4, 1-0 MIAA
2
Emporia State ESU 7-9, 0-1 MIAA
Winner
Central Oklahoma UCO
11-4, 1-0 MIAA
4
Final
2
Emporia State ESU
7-9, 0-1 MIAA
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Central Oklahoma UCO 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 4 9 0
Emporia State ESU 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 4 2

W: Chestnut, Jayden (8-1) L: Mesler,M. (2-5)

6
Winner Central Oklahoma UCO 12-4, 2-0 MIAA
2
Emporia State ESU 7-10, 0-2 MIAA
Winner
Central Oklahoma UCO
12-4, 2-0 MIAA
6
Final
2
Emporia State ESU
7-10, 0-2 MIAA
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Central Oklahoma UCO 1 0 2 0 2 1 0 6 10 0
Emporia State ESU 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 5 1

W: Gibson, Lauren (4-2) L: Phillips,K. (2-5)

Game Recap: Softball |

UCO Sweeps Hornets To Open MIAA Play

EMPORIA, Kan. (March 2) – Jayden Chestnut and Lauren Gibson picked up complete-game pitching wins and Central Oklahoma utilized a small-ball attack to sweep a Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association doubleheader from Emporia State here Friday evening.
 
The defending league champion Bronchos prevailed 4-2 in the first game as JoBi Heath and Halley Randolph had run-scoring hits in the seventh to break a 2-all tie before taking the nightcap 6-2.  Chestnut scattered four hits in the opener and Gibson allowed five hits in the second game.
 
UCO had six sacrifice hits on the day – scoring once in each game with squeeze bunts – as a strong south wind routinely knocked down hard-hit fly balls at Turnbill Field.  The Bronchos improved to 12-4 on the season in the conference opener and move on to Topeka, Kan. Saturday for a noon twinbill with Washburn.
 
"We had to have a different offensive mindset with the way the wind was blowing in and I thought we did a good job of executing our game plan," head coach Cody White said.  "Jayden and Lauren both threw well and we scratched together enough runs to get two good road wins."
 
UCO used its small-ball play to break a scoreless tie in the fourth inning of the first game when Randolph laid down a perfect squeeze bunt to score Heath, who had led off the inning with a double to left-center before moving to third on Allie Eicher's single through the left side.
 
Emporia tied it with a solo homer in the bottom of that inning, with the Bronchos manufacturing a run in their next at bat.
 
Bailey Thompson started the fifth with an infield single, Carrie Abrams followed with a bunt single and both runners advanced on Morgan Heard's sacrifice bunt before Thompson trotted home on Heath's RBI fly out to left field.
 
Two hit batters helped the Hornets tie it again in the sixth, setting the stage for UCO's winning surge.
 
Thompson again got things started with a lead-off single and she raced to third when Abrams reached on an error before scoring the go-ahead run on Heath's double down the left field line.
 
Abrams was thrown out at home in a close play on a passed ball then sent Heath to third, then Randolph came through with a two-out RBI single through the left side that gave UCO a 4-2 advantage.
 
Chesnut closed out her seventh complete game in nine starts with two strikeouts and a groundout in the bottom of the seventh.  The junior ace gave up four hits and one walk while fanning eight in a 118-pitching outing, improving to 8-1 with the 31st win of her two-year UCO career.
 
Thompson went 3-for-4 at the plate to lead a nine-hit attack, while Heath and Randolph had two hits and two RBI apiece.  Both Heath hits were doubles, giving the junior slugger five in the last three games.
 
UCO took the lead early in the second game and Thompson was again the catalyst.
 
The speedy junior outfielder opened the game with a single up the middle and ended up scoring on a wild pitch to give the Bronchos a 1-0 edge, which became a 3-0 advantage in the third when Eicher sliced a run-scoring single to left field and Ritz delivered an RBI hit up the middle.
 
Heath and Eicher drew back-to-back walks to start the fifth and both moved up a base on Randolph's sacrifice bunt before scoring on Ritz's double to left-center as the lead grew to 5-0.
 
The Hornets scored their only two runs in the bottom of that frame, with UCO getting one back in the sixth as Thompson led off with a double to right-center, went to third on a passed ball and scored on Heard's squeeze bunt.
 
ESU didn't threaten in its final two at bats and Gibson finished off her third complete-game win of the season.  The redshirt freshman walked one and struck out three, needing just 83 pitches to move her record to 4-2.
 
Thompson, Abrams, Ritz and Lexy Dobson had two hits each to pace a 10-hit attack, with Ritz finishing with three RBI.
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