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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Team
1
Missouri Western MWSU 36-15
9
Winner Central Oklahoma UCO 44-5
Missouri Western MWSU
36-15
1
Final
9
Central Oklahoma UCO
44-5
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
Missouri Western MWSU 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 2
Central Oklahoma UCO 4 3 1 0 0 1 9 14 0

W: McKittrick, Bailey (23-2) L: Hinds,Kaili (16-4)

Game Recap: Softball |

Bronchos Batter Missouri Western In MIAA Tourney

EDMOND (May 4) – Bailey Thompson's 4-for-4 performance and JoBi Heath's record-setting day sparked an offensive assault that carried top-ranked Central Oklahoma to a 9-1 run-rule romp over Missouri Western in the winner's bracket finals of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Softball Championship Saturday afternoon.

The regular-season league champion Bronchos also got another stout pitching outing from freshman sensation Bailey McKittrick in snapping the Griffons' 18-game winning streak and moving into Sunday's 10 a.m. title game.  UCO, now 44-5 on the season, will face MWSU in that contest, with the "if necessary" game at 12:30 p.m.

"We were aggressive at the plate and really swung the bats well," head coach Cody White said.  "Bailey got off to a little bit of a slow start, but she settled down quickly and had a great outing for us.  It was a big win over a great team."

Thompson led Central's 13-hit attack, while Heath, Hazel Puempel, Halley Randolph and Allie Eicher had two hits apiece.  Heath also had three runs batted in to become the MIAA's all-time leader with 218.

McKittrick walked the first batter she faced and later gave up a two-out single in the first inning, but dominated the rest of the way.  The rookie right-hander finished with just that one walk and scattered three hits while striking out seven in improving to 23-2 and tying the UCO record for pitching wins by a freshman.

MWSU's 1-0 lead was short-lived as the Bronchos answered back in emphatic fashion in their first at bat.

Puempel led off with a home run for the second game in a row to ignite a four-run uprising.  Puemple, who homered in the first pitch of Thursday's 11-4 win over Central Missouri, waited until the second pitch this time to send a long fly soaring over the right field fence to quickly tie the game.

Thompson followed with a single and went to third on the play when the ball got past the left fielder and she came home on Randolph's line-drive double to right center.  Heath then set the RBI record with a deep fly ball that easily cleared the left field fence for her 12th homer of the season, making it 4-1.

UCO continued to pour it on in the second when the lead grew to 7-1.

Thompson started the frame with a bloop single, went to second on a groundout and scored on Heath's single to right-center to get things going.  Lexy Dobson came through with a two-out RBI triple when MWSU's right fielder missed on a diving catch and Eicher followed with a double to left field give the Bronchos a six-run cushion.

Central made it 8-1 in the third as Randolph drove an RBI single to right field and the Bronchos ended the game on the run-rule in the sixth on Eicher's line-drive double to the left-center field gap scored Dobson, who was hit by pitch to start the inning.
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