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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Amelya Huggins
Amelya Huggins
4
Central Oklahoma UCO 36-14
5
Winner Southern Arkansas SAUSB 29-9
Central Oklahoma UCO
36-14
4
Final
5
Southern Arkansas SAUSB
29-9
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Central Oklahoma UCO 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 4 8 1
Southern Arkansas SAUSB 1 3 0 1 0 0 X 5 8 2

W: Sydney Wader (9-5) L: McKittrick, Bailey (2-2)

Game Recap: Softball |

UCO Ousted From NCAA Playoffs

EDMOND (May 20) – Another close game in a season full of them didn't go Central Oklahoma's way Thursday afternoon, which resulted in the end of the season for the Bronchos.
 
No. 14-ranked UCO dropped a tough 5-4 battle to No. 19 Southern Arkansas in an elimination contest of the NCAA Division II Central Regional. It was the 28th time this season that the Bronchos had a game decided by two runs or less.

"We had some chances and just weren't able to come up with the big hit," said eighth-year head coach Cody White said. "It's a tough way to end the season, but only one team is going to be happy at the end.
 
"I'm proud of this team and the way they fought all year. We had to battle for everything we got and we accomplished a lot of great things this season."

UCO captured the regular-season Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association championship in making its ninth national tournament appearance in the last 11 years. The Bronchos finished 36-14 for the 12th 35-plus win season in school history, including the sixth under White.

The Bronchos and Muleriders were tied 4-4 through three innings before SAU pushed across what turned out to be the winning run in the fourth.
 
UCO finished with eight hits, getting two apiece from Tarin Dubler, Jacee Minter, Shayla Harper and Amelya Huggins.
 
The Bronchos didn't waste time in going ahead, with lead-off hitter Dubler driving the third pitch of the game high over the left field wall for a home run. It was Dubler's third homer of the season and her first since March 26.
 
The Muleriders answered with a solo shot in the bottom of the first to make it 1-1 and both teams scored again in the second.
 
Allie Eicher and Harper drew consecutive walks to start the second, with both runners moving over on a groundout before scoring on Huggins' single down the right field line.
 
SAU came back with three unearned runs in the bottom of the inning to move ahead 4-3, with the Bronchos tying that in the top of the third.
 
Minter opened the inning with a single through the left side, went to second on a groundout, took third on Harper's base hit to left field and scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-4.
 
The Muleriders went in front 5-4 with a single run in the bottom of the fourth and that's the way it ended.
 
UCO tried to get something going in the sixth when Harper led off with a double off the right-center field wall and Lexy Dobson reached on an error, but three straight outs ended the threat.
 
The Bronchos put their first two batters on in the seventh as well as Minter led off with an infield single and Hazel Puempel reached on an error that resulted in the first out. Eicher then hit a hard line drive that was snared at the wall in left field and Harper's deep fly ball to center field was caught at the fence to end the game.
 
It was the final game for three UCO seniors – Eicher, Puempel and Halley Randolph.
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