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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Peyton Walker
Peyton Walker
6
Central Oklahoma UCO 25-17, 13-6 MIAA
7
Winner Southwest Baptist SBU 16-30, 6-15 MIAA
Central Oklahoma UCO
25-17, 13-6 MIAA
6
Final
7
Southwest Baptist SBU
16-30, 6-15 MIAA
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Central Oklahoma UCO 0 0 0 0 4 0 2 6 9 2
Southwest Baptist SBU 3 0 1 1 1 1 X 7 6 0

W: Dock,A (2-5) L: Chestnut, Jayden (14-4)

4
Winner Central Oklahoma UCO 26-17, 14-6 MIAA
1
Southwest Baptist SBU 16-31, 6-16 MIAA
Winner
Central Oklahoma UCO
26-17, 14-6 MIAA
4
Final
1
Southwest Baptist SBU
16-31, 6-16 MIAA
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Central Oklahoma UCO 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 4 10 0
Southwest Baptist SBU 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 5 1

W: Walker, Peyton (3-7) L: Schmidli,K (0-5)

Game Recap: Softball |

Walker Leads UCO To Doubleheader Split

BOLIVAR, Mo. (April 16) – Peyton Walker went the distance in the pitching circle to lead Central Oklahoma to a much-needed second-game win as the Bronchos salvaged a Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association doubleheader split with Southwest Baptist here Monday afternoon.
 
UCO fell behind 5-0 in the first game and never recovered in dropping a 7-6 decision before bouncing back to claim a 4-1 victory in the nightcap as Walker threw a five-hitter and Morgan Heard tied the school record for runs scored.
 
The Bronchos played without offensive sparkplug and reigning MIAA Player of the Year Carrie Abrams, who was held out for precautionary reasons after getting hit in the head by a ball that bounced out of the batting cage during warm-ups before the games started.
 
That forced UCO to juggle its defensive lineup, with JoBi Heath moving from third field to Abrams' spot in left field and regular designated Allie Eicher taking over at third.  More importantly, it took Abrams' team-leading .422 average out of the batting order.
 
"It was a frustrating day," head coach Cody White said.  "To lose your best hitter an hour before the game is tough and it kind of threw us for a loop.  We got ourselves in a bind early in the first game and just couldn't get out of it, but I was glad we responded to get the split.  Peyton really threw well."
 
Walker was the catalyst in the nightcap, needing just 71 pitches to finish off her second complete game of the season.  The senior right-hander – who missed six weeks of the season to injury early – scattered five hits while walking just one and striking out three.
 
The Bronchos jumped on top early in the second game on Tori Ritz's two-run single in the top of the first inning.
 
Lexy Dobson got things started with a one-out infield single, Heard followed with a single to right field and Allie Eicher drew a two-out walk to load the bases for Ritz, who came through with a bloop base hit to center field to push across two runs.
 
Heard's run was the 223rd of her stellar UCO career, tying the all-time mark set by Kaylee Brunson from 2012-15.
 
Central made it 4-0 in the third on Dobson's run-scoring double and Heard's RBI groundout, with the Bearcats getting their only score of the game in the bottom of the fourth.
 
The Bronchos finished with 10 hits, led by Dobson's 3-for-4 outing.  Seven other players had one hit.
 
UCO fell behind 3-0 in the first inning of the opener and never recovered, though the Bronchos twice pulled within a run.
 
Two walks and a home run gave the Bearcats the early lead and SBU added single runs in the third and fourth innings to go ahead 5-0. 
 
One swing of the bat pulled Central within a run in the top of the fifth.
 
Halley Randolph started the frame with a single to center field, Thompson had a one-out bunt base hit and Dobson walked to load the bases for Heard, who cleared them with a drive over the left field fence to make it 5-4.
 
Southwest Baptist scratched out single runs in the fifth and sixth to push its advantage to 7-4 and a UCO's last-inning comeback try came up short.
 
Thompson opened the seventh with a single to left field and Dobson followed with an infield hit before Heard picked up her fifth RBI of the game with a single up the middle.  Dobson went to third on the play and scored on Heath's fielder's choice to pull the Bronchos within 7-6, but SBU got a double play to end the game.
 
Thompson went 3-for-4 to lead a nine-hit attack, while Heard had two hits.  The Bearcats had six hits, getting three each against starter Jayden Chestnut and reliever Lauren Gibson, with Chestnut taking the loss to drop to 14-4.
 
The Bronchos, now 26-17 overall and 14-6 in league play, move on to Warrensburg, Mo. Tuesday to face Central Missouri in a 1 p.m. twinbill.
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