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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Junior Obeso
Junior Obeso
3
Winner Central Oklahoma UCO 35-18
1
Northeastern State NSU 28-24
Winner
Central Oklahoma UCO
35-18
3
Final
1
Northeastern State NSU
28-24
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Central Oklahoma UCO 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 3 12 1
Northeastern State NSU 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 0

W: Viney, Gaylon (3-3) L: Rice,L (5-2) S: Rutland, Josh (9)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Viney Helps Bronchos Stay Alive

WARRENSBURG, Mo. (May 12) – Gaylon Viney's clutch relief outing led the way as Central Oklahoma trimmed Northeastern State 3-1 to stay alive in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Postseason Tournament here Saturday evening at Crane Stadium/Tomkins Field.
 
Viney had a superb six-inning stint to pace five UCO pitchers that combined to limit the RiverHawks to five hits and the Bronchos scratched out just enough offense to move on in the double elimination tournament.
 
Top-seeded and regular season co-champion UCO improved to 35-18 and takes on No. 2 seed Central Missouri Saturday night.  The Bronchos need to beat the Mules Saturday night and again Sunday at 12:30 p.m. to reach the 4:00 p.m. championship game against either Pittsburg State or Emporia State.
 
"We pieced things together and got the job done," head coach John Martin said.  "Gaylon came in and gave us six quality innings, which was the key to the whole game.  It was disappointing we didn't score more runs because we certainly had plenty of chances."
 
Central banged out 12 hits, but managed only three runs while leaving 12 runners on base – stranding two on six different occasions.
 
Viney was splendid after coming on with two runners on and one out in the second after NSU had taken a 1-0 lead.  He walked the first batter he faced to load the bases, but then got out of the inning with a strikeout and fly out.
 
The senior right-hander ended up throwing six shutout innings, allowing just two hits with three walks while striking out six in a 91-pitch performance to pick up the win, improving to 3-3.
 
The RiverHawks loaded the bases with no outs in the second and scored the game's first run on a sacrifice fly before Viney came on to prevent NSU from building on its 1-0 advantage.
 
UCO -- which left two runners on in each of the first three innings -- finally got on the scoreboard in the sixth, scoring twice to take a 2-1 lead.
 
Trae Smith got things started with an infield single and Xavier Freeman banged a double off the left-center field wall to put runners on second and third.  Taylor Avila's sacrifice fly plated the tying run, then Caleb Peters followed with a single to left field to put the Bronchos ahead.
 
NSU threatened in the eighth, chasing Viney with a one-out single and walk.  Ben Wusterbarth came on to get a one-pitch fly out, then Junior Obeso took over on the mound but wasn't needed when catcher Dayne Sommer's strong throw to second resulted in an inning-ending pick-off.
 
UCO tacked on an insurance run in the top of the ninth with another sacrifice fly.  Sommer had a one-out single through the right side, Paul Kropf a double down the right field line and Smith was hit by pitch before Sommer trotted home on Freeman's long fly out to right.
 
That 3-1 lead appeared in jeopardy in the bottom of the ninth when NSU used a walk and error to put runners on second and third with no outs.  But Obeso got back-to-back swinging strikeouts before closer Josh Rutland came on to induce a game-ending fly out, earning his ninth save of the season and second of the tournament.
 
Sommer, Kropf, Peters, Kyle Miskovsky and Justin Brown had two hits apiece for the Bronchos.
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