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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Brighton Gilbert
Brighton Gilbert
0
Central Oklahoma UCO 36-13
2
Winner Minnesota State MSU 39-8
Central Oklahoma UCO
36-13
0
Final
2
Minnesota State MSU
39-8
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Central Oklahoma UCO 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
Minnesota State MSU 0 0 0 0 2 0 X 2 4 0

W: Ward, Mackenzie (23-4) L: Lynch, Kylee (19-6)

Game Recap: Softball |

Bronchos Clipped In Regional

EDMOND (May 20) – Runs are hard to come by when postseason play arrives and Central Oklahoma certainly found that out Thursday in the second round of the NCAA Division II Central Regional.

The No. 14-ranked Bronchos were held to four hits in suffering just its third shutout loss this season in dropping a 2-0 decision to No. 17 Minnesota State-Mankato and pitching ace Mackenzi Ward.
 
UCO, which hadn't been held scoreless since March 11, fell to 36-13. The Bronchos have to turn right around to face Southern Arkansas in an elimination contest at 5 p.m.
 
"Their pitcher really shut us down," head coach Cody White said. "I thought Kylee (Lynch) threw well, but they got us for a couple of runs and we couldn't answer. We don't have time to pout and just need to bounce back."
 
Lynch stymied the Mavericks through three innings, allowing only one baserunner when she hit a batter. Mankato got its first hit in the fourth and finally broke the scoreless deadlock in the fifth with a two-run home run.

That turned out to be the only runs in the game and it was enough to hold off the Bronchos with Ward in the circle. The rght-handed junior – who leads Division II in strikeouts -- threw her 10th shutout of the season in improving to 23-2.
 
Lynch was effective as well, but took the tough-luck loss in fallin to 19-6. The freshman lefty allowed four hits in going the first five innings and didn't walk a batter while fanning three.
 
UCO's only hit in the first five innings was Shayla Harper's bunt single in the second and the Bronchos didn't threaten to score until their final two at bats.
 
Halley Randolph led off the sixth with a walk and Central loaded the bases with two outs on a  two-out bloop single by Jacee Minter and Hazel Puempel's walk, but a strikeout ended the threat.

Harper led off the seventh with a single up the middle and Lexy Dobson followed with a base hit to left-center before both advanced on Amelya Huggins' sacrifice bunt. But UCO couldn't push across a run as Ward ended the game with back-to-back strikeouts.
 
 
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