Baseball 3/12/2021 5:32:00 PM Chris Brannick

Bronchos Win Series Finale In Kansas

Late Heroics Send Central To Victory

EMPORIA, Kan. – The University of Central Oklahoma baseball team beat Emporia State Friday in the third game of the MIAA series. The Bronchos scored a pair of runs in the final inning to earn a 2-1 victory.

"We battled till the end," UCO head coach John Martin said. "We didn't play very well today but our pitching and our defense kept us in the game and we got it done when it counted."

Central senior Ryan Harrel drew a leadoff walk in the ninth, the first walk of the game for the Bronchos. Colton Bertus then laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Harrel up to second base. Then Joe Mondragon, hitless up to this point, slapped a single to right field that scored Harrel and tied the game, 1-1 with one out in the ninth inning.

After Kyle Crowl drew a walk and Garrett Takamatsu reached on a fielder's choice to move Mondragon to third. Philip Scott added an RBI single of his own to score Mondragon's game-winning run.

Beaux Bonvillain came on to pitch in the ninth and got the 1-2-3 inning and the Broncho victory.

Scott finished 2-for-4 with the RBI. Mondragon was 1-for-4 with the RBI and the run scored. Crowl, Takamatsu and Brett Hopkins each added a hit as well for UCO.

Grant Larson got the start for the Bronchos Friday and despite giving up a run in the bottom of the first, the senior lefty was solid. Larson allowed just four hits and the one run through four innings. He issued his first and second walks of the game in the fifth, but got a double play to get out of that bind. Larson got three double plays through the first five innings he was on the mound.

Larson finished the game after 5 1/3 innings of work. He gave up six hits and three walks to the 22 batters he faced.

Brayden Nelson came on for Larson in the sixth and struck out the first two batters he faced. They were the first two strikeouts of the game for the Bronchos. Nelson also got a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the seventh, recording his third strikeout of the game.

Nelson finished with five strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings and officially got the win before Bonvillain closed out the game to earn the save.

Central got two of hits in the top of the first inning Friday. Crowl and Takamatsu had back-to-back two-out singles. But Takamatsu was thrown out on the base path and Central didn't get anything out of the inning.

In the top of the fifth, Scott led off with a single but was also thrown out attempting to steal. Hopkins followed that play with a single of his own, but again, Central couldn't move the runners around.

UCO didn't get another hit until the rally in the ninth.

Central Oklahoma will return home and has this weekend off as the ESU series was originally scheduled for Friday and Saturday. The Bronchos host Oklahoma Christian on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

#1 Colton Bertus: 2B/3B; 5' 9"; Redshirt Freshman; R/R

#12 Kyle Crowl: IF; 6' 2"; Senior; R/R

#2 Ryan Harrel: SS; 6' 0"; Senior; R/R

#17 Joe Mondragon: 1B; 6' 1"; Senior; L/R

#14 Brayden Nelson: P; 6' 2"; Senior; R/R

#27 Philip Scott: 2B/3B; 6' 0"; Senior; R/R

#33 Garrett Takamatsu: C; 6' 0"; Junior; R/R

#11 Beaux Bonvillain: P; 6' 0"; Junior; */L

#20 Brett Hopkins: C; 5' 10"; Junior; R/R

#44 Grant Larson: P; 6' 7"; Senior; */L

Players Mentioned

#1 Colton Bertus
: 5' 9"; Redshirt Freshman; R/R
: 2B/3B

#12 Kyle Crowl
: 6' 2"; Senior; R/R
: IF

#2 Ryan Harrel
: 6' 0"; Senior; R/R
: SS

#17 Joe Mondragon
: 6' 1"; Senior; L/R
: 1B

#14 Brayden Nelson
: 6' 2"; Senior; R/R
: P

#27 Philip Scott
: 6' 0"; Senior; R/R
: 2B/3B

#33 Garrett Takamatsu
: 6' 0"; Junior; R/R
: C

#11 Beaux Bonvillain
: 6' 0"; Junior; */L
: P

#20 Brett Hopkins
: 5' 10"; Junior; R/R
: C

#44 Grant Larson
: 6' 7"; Senior; */L
: P