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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Lauren Gibson
Lauren Gibson
3
Central Oklahoma UCO 12-5, 2-1 MIAA
4
Winner Washburn WU 13-5, 1-0 MIAA
Central Oklahoma UCO
12-5, 2-1 MIAA
3
Final
4
Washburn WU
13-5, 1-0 MIAA
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Central Oklahoma UCO 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 3 4 0
Washburn WU 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 4 8 0

W: Crabtree,L. (2-3) L: Chestnut, Jayden (8-2)

4
Winner Central Oklahoma UCO 13-5, 3-1 MIAA
0
Washburn WU 13-6, 1-1 MIAA
Winner
Central Oklahoma UCO
13-5, 3-1 MIAA
4
Final
0
Washburn WU
13-6, 1-1 MIAA
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Central Oklahoma UCO 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 4 8 0
Washburn WU 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0

W: Gibson, Lauren (5-2) L: Henry,K. (5-3)

Game Recap: Softball |

Freshmen Help Bronchos Gain Split

TOPEKA, Kan. (March 3) – A pair of freshmen came up big for Central Oklahoma and the Bronchos salvaged a Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association doubleheader split with Washburn here Saturday afternoon.
 
The Ichabods scored two seventh-inning runs to pull out a 4-3 first-game win before UCO rebounded to take the nightcap 4-0 behind rookies Lauren Gibson and Tori Ritz.
 
Gibson threw a complete-game three-hitter to pick up the first shutout of her career, while Ritz smashed a two-run home run and added an RBI walk as the defending league champion Bronchos improved to 13-5 on the season and 3-1 in the conference.
 
"It was great to see a couple of freshmen step up for us today when we really needed them," head coach Cody White said.  "Lauren had her change-up working and she pitched a great game.  And for Tori to hit the ball out of the park today with this wind was really something.
 
"It was tough losing the first game, but I was proud of the way we bounced back.  Going on the road and winning three out of four games against two good teams wasn't a bad way to start our conference schedule."
 
Ritz put UCO in front with her first collegiate homer in the second inning, a high drive over the center field fence made even more impressive by the presence of a strong south wind that held up virtually any ball hit in the air during the twinbill.
 
The long ball was the only extra base hit of the day for the Bronchos and plated Allie Eicher, who had started the inning with an infield single.  Central added a third run when Casady Webb singled, went to third on Lexy Dobson's base hit and scored on a delayed double steal.
 
Ritz picked up her third RBI in the third with a bases-loaded walk that made it 4-0.  The rookie first baseman also showed off her defensive abilities in the fifth after WU had led off the inning with a walk, snaring a hard-hit line-drive and then stepping on the bag to complete a double play.
 
UCO finished with eight hits, getting two each from Eicher and Dobson.  Gibson walked four and struck out two in her second straight complete-game outing and needed just 89 pitches to improve to 5-2.
 
The Bronchos once again had to manufacture runs in the windy conditions, similar to what they faced in Friday's doubleheader sweep of Emporia State.
 
Central went ahead 1-0 in the second inning of the first game when Halley Randolph walked, went to second on a passed ball, took third on Carli Jones' single to left and scored on Webb's squeeze bunt.
 
Morgan Heard made it 2-0 in the third with line-drive single to right field that scored Bailey Thompson, who had led off the inning with a walk before going to second on Carrie Abrams' sacrifice bunt.
 
WU got a run in the bottom of the third, but the Bronchos matched that in the fourth on Abrams' sacrifice fly.  Webb barely beat the tag at home plate, giving UCO a 3-1 advantage.
 
The Ichabods pulled within 3-2 in the fifth before the decisive seventh.
 
Washburn hit one ball out of the infield in its game-winning rally, that one a bloop single that landed just out of the reach of third baseman JoBi Heath on the edge of the infield dirt to drive in the tying run.  A bases-loaded walk pushed across the winning run for the Ichabods, who also had hit batter and two bunt singles in the inning.
 
UCO managed just four hits, two by Heath.  Jayden Chestnut took the pitching loss, falling to 8-2.
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