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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Team
12
Winner Central Oklahoma UCO 48-6
0
Arkansas Tech ATU 47-15
Winner
Central Oklahoma UCO
48-6
12
Final
0
Arkansas Tech ATU
47-15
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Central Oklahoma UCO 2 3 1 4 2 12 17 0
Arkansas Tech ATU 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2

W: McLeod, Sydney (19-3) L: Megan Goodnight (13-2)

Game Recap: Softball |

Bronchos Stomp ATU For Central Regional I Title

EDMOND (May 11) – When the hits finally starting falling, there was no stopping Central Oklahoma's stampeding Bronchos.

Limited to 14 hits in the first three games of the tournament and forced to the "if necessary" game with a 4-2 loss earlier in the day to Arkansas Tech, top-ranked UCO scored early and often in a 12-0 thrashing of the Golden Sun to capture the NCAA Division II Central Regional I Tournament championship Saturday afternoon before a capacity crowd.

The Bronchos pounded out 17 hits – their second-most of the season – and Sydney McLeod threw a four-hitter in handing ATU its first shutout of the season. UCO improved to 48-6 and will host Augustana in a best-of-three Central Super Regional Thursday and Friday.

"It was an up-and-down day for us," head coach Cody White said. "When I went into the locker room between games it was a player-led conversation. They were ready, they were ready to go in game two and I'm really proud of what they were able to accomplish."

Every batter in the lineup had at least one hit, with Bailey Thompson going 3-for-3 to lead the devastating attack. Hazel Puempel, Halley Randolph, JoBi Heath, Carli Jones, Allie Eicher and Brighton Gilbert had two hits apiece, with Heath setting a UCO record with her 69th career double in the fourth inning of the romp.

"We finally realized we've got to do this thing, there's no more messing around," said Heath, whose 23rd double of the year also tied a single-season school record. "Hazel got us going and then Bailey and we just kept it going."

White Central's offensive fireworks garnered most of the attention, it was McLeod's quiet dominance in the pitching circle that was the real key in the game.

The junior left-hander didn't overwhelm ATU with strikeouts, but she kept the Golden Sun off-balance throughout the five-inning rout and was never in danger of giving up a run as UCO's defense was flawless. McLeod walked just one batter and struck out two in improving to 19-3.

"I just went out there and knew my team was behind me," McLeod said. "Coach White always talks about the process and to follow the process and I think that's kind of what went through my head. And my teammates are always hyped in the dugout so it pumps me up to pitch for them."

The Bronchos took control early after Puempel opened the game with a lead-off infield single. Thompson followed with a sacrifice bunt, Randolph's single to center field put UCO in front and Dobson's two-out single quickly made it 2-0.

UCO's lead grew to 5-0 in the second as Thompson had an RBI double down the left field line and two more runs scored on an error, with Gilbert's two-out run-scoring single in the third pushing the lead to 6-0.

The Bronchos really broke it open in the fourth, pushing across four runs.

Thompson led off the frame with a bunt single, Randolph drew a walk and Heath drove in the first run with her record-setting double, pounding a scorching line-drive off the right-center field wall. Jones reached on an error to load the bases, Dobson followed with an RBI single to right field and Eicher's bloop single to left scored two more to make it 10-0.

UCO wasn't done.

Thompson started a one-out rally in the fifth with a single to center field, then went to second on Randolph's double down the right field line before scoring on Heath's infield single. Jones then ripped a single up the middle to push the cushion to 12-0.

McLeod gave up a two-out single in the bottom of the fifth before getting a game-ending groundout that set off a wild celebration in the pitching circle.

UCO committed four errors – after having had two combined in their previous eight games – in the first-game loss to the Golden Sun.

That game was tied 1-1 before ATU scored three times in the second, knocking out starting pitcher Bailey McKittrick in the process with a hard shot up the middle that went off McKittrick's foot.

The Bronchos got a run back in the fourth on Casady Webb's double,  but UCO couldn't take advantage of bases-loaded opportunities in both the fifth and sixth innings as ATU held on to force the "if" game.

Lauren Gibson took over after McKittrick's injury and threw well in relief, giving up just two hits in 3 1/3 shutout innings to keep the Bronchos in the game.
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