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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Tyler Culver
2
Winner Central Oklahoma UCO 19-8, 11-2 MIAA
1
Missouri Southern MSSU 17-7, 5-5 MIAA
Winner
Central Oklahoma UCO
19-8, 11-2 MIAA
2
Final
1
Missouri Southern MSSU
17-7, 5-5 MIAA
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Central Oklahoma UCO 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 7 1
Missouri Southern MSSU 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 7 0

W: Culver, Tyler (4-0) L: Cowan,Corey (1-1) S: Rutland, Josh (2)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Chris Brannick

UCO Tops Missouri Southern Tuesday

JOPLIN, Mo. – The University of Central Oklahoma baseball team won its sixth straight game Tuesday evening, edging 20th-ranked Missouri Southern 2-1 in a Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association matchup at Turner Field.
 
The Bronchos improved to 19-8 on the season with the win, and are 11-2 in league play. Missouri Southern is 17-7, and 5-5 in the MIAA.
 
"This was a big win for us," UCO head baseball coach John Martin said. "They got us in Edmond last month and I think the guys really dug in and made sure we were going to get them back for that. Missouri Southern is a really good team and to be able to get a win when you only score two runs is a good win for us."
 
Central Oklahoma is the highest scoring team in the MIAA, and ranks second in the country at putting runs on the scoreboard. UCO had scored 17 runs in each of its last two games heading into Joplin, and in four of its last six overall, but it needed to win in a different way Tuesday.
 
UCO got savvy in the fourth to get its first run. Trae Smith got on with one out in the inning after a single through the left side. Jake Dyer then singled to center field to move Smith to third. After Xavier Freeman struck out for the second out, Dyer attempted to steal second and when Missouri Southern catcher Dan Lenz threw down to get Dyer out, Smith took off for home. Dyer's hesitation on the base path allowed Smith to score and give the Bronchos a 1-0 lead.
 
Paul Kropf hit an RBI single to left field to score Justin Brown in the top of the fifth inning to put UCO up 2-0. Missouri Southern then scored its lone run in the bottom half of the inning on a throwing error by Kropf.
 
Tyler Culver started for the Bronchos Tuesday, and was dominant in five innings. He allowed seven hits and just one run – unearned. He struck out seven on the day and walked three.
 
Junior Obeso threw two shutout innings of relief work, striking out two. Ben Wusterbarth also struck out two in one inning of relief duty, and Josh Rutland also struck out two in the bottom of the ninth to close out the win and earn his second save of the season.
 
UCO's pitching staff combined to allow only seven hits on the day, and struck out 13 Missouri Southern batters. Culver improved to 4-0 on the season with the win.
 
UCO had just seven hits as well Tuesday. Kropf's two base knocks led the way. Kyle Miskovksy, Smith, Dyer, D.J. Gasso, and Brown added one each.
 
The Bronchos return home from a four-game MIAA road trip with four wins and now turn to a big conference matchup this weekend at Wendell Simmons Field. UCO hosts Central Missouri for three games beginning Friday at 3 p.m.
 
 
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