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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Jaden Parsons
Jaden Parsons
4
Northern State NORTHERN 0-1
14
Winner Central Oklahoma UCO 1-0
Northern State NORTHERN
0-1
4
Final
14
Central Oklahoma UCO
1-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
Northern State NORTHERN 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 0 4 4 1
Central Oklahoma UCO 3 0 2 0 0 1 2 6 14 15 1

W: Bagwell, Aiden (1-0) L: Baker, Brian (0-1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Chris Brannick

UCO Wins Opener With Run-Rule Walkoff

Bronchos Beat Northern State 14-4 In Eight Innings

EDMOND – Central Oklahoma opened the 2023 season Friday evening with a frenzy in beating Northern State (S.D.) 14-4 in an eight-inning rule run at Wendell Simmons Field in the Edmond First Pitch Classic.
 
Jaden Parsons slapped a two-out, two-RBI single through the right side that scored Kaleb Glass and Orlando Gonzalez to give UCO a 10-run lead and the run-rule victory.
 
Friday night marked the third time in five years UCO has walked off in the season opener at the Edmond First Pitch Classic. Kace Massner hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to beat Southeastern Oklahoma State 10-0 in 2019. Clayton  Peterson hit an RBI single to score Glass in an 8-7 victory over Oklahoma Baptist in 2022. Friday, it was Parson's turn.
 
UCO had a 8-4 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth inning when Parsons led off with a double to right center. Noah Olson traded spots with him on the next at bat, making it 9-4. After Shae Morrison drew a walk, NSU changed pitchers. But the relief hit the next batter, then gave up a two-RBI single to Cameron Uselton that scored Olson and Morrison and made it 11-4.
 
Glass singled to left field after that and scored Seth Gray, who had been previously plunked. Then Orlando Gonzalez was also hit by a pitch.
 
Northern State got the first two outs of the inning before Parsons came up to the plate for the second time.
 
He watched strike out come through, then ball one, then ball two, then ball three. He turned on the next one and smacked it right between the first and second basemen to score the game-winning runs.
 
Central Oklahoma jumped out to an early lead Friday, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning.
 
Gray's RBI double down the left field line scored Parsons. Uselton's RBI double to center scored Gray. And Glass's RBI single scored Uselton.
 
Parsons scored again in the third when Uselton reached on a fielding error in left field. Then Glass reached on an RBI fielder's choice to score Olson. That made it 5-0.
 
Gonzalez pelted a solo home run in the sixth to give UCO a 6-4 lead. Then Uselton nailed an RBI triple down the left field line to score Morrison in the seventh and Gonzalez followed that with a sacrifice fly to center to score Uselton and give UCO the 8-4 lead it took to the eighth inning.
 
Parsons finished 3-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBIs. Uselton also went 3-for-5 with four RBIs and two runs scored. Glass and Morrison also collected two-hit games. Olson, Gray, Gonzalez, Wyatt Gray and Landen Wood all had one hit in the game.
 
James Wambold made his Broncho debut in a starting role Friday and was solid on the mound. He threw 4 1/3 innings, struck out five batters, and allowed just one run on two hits. He was nearly even in getting four flyouts, four groundouts, and five strikeouts.
 
Jacob Savage threw one inning of relief work and gave up three runs, two earned, on two hits and a walk. Aiden Bagwell, who earned the official win, threw 1 2/3 innings and struck out two batters. He didn't allow a base runner. Valek Cisneros finished the game in the top of the eighth inning, striking out one batter.
 
Central Oklahoma is scheduled to play against Southwestern Oklahoma State Saturday night and Oklahoma Baptist on Sunday night.
 
OBU lost to Emporia State in the first game Friday, 17-9. SWOSU's game against Pittsburg State was postponed due to a lighting failure on one of the light posts. That game will be resumed at 10 a.m., followed by Northern State and Emporia State immediately after. Oklahoma Baptist and Pitt State will play the third game Saturday and UCO and SWOSU will wrap up Day 2 of the festival in the late game.
 
Northern State will open with Pitt State Sunday at noon before Southwestern and Emporia play the second game. UCO and OBU close out the fifth annual Edmond First Pitch Classic Sunday night.
 
 
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