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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Kaleb Glass
2
Oklahoma Baptist OKB 1-2
5
Winner Central Oklahoma UCO 3-0
Oklahoma Baptist OKB
1-2
2
Final
5
Central Oklahoma UCO
3-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Oklahoma Baptist OKB 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 5 1
Central Oklahoma UCO 0 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 X 5 10 1

W: Lopez, Marcos (1-0) L: Logan Kimbro (0-1) S: Bailey, Jacob (1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Chris Brannick

Bronchos Baffle Bison In EFPC Finale

Central Oklahoma Beat Oklahoma Baptist 5-2 Sunday In the Final Game of the Edmond First Pitch Classic

EDMOND – A dynamic pitching performance from Central Oklahoma baffled the Bison from Oklahoma Baptist Sunday afternoon as the Bronchos rolled to a 5-2 victory in the final game of the Edmond First Pitch Classic at Wendell Simmons Field.
 
Central Oklahoma improved to 3-0 on the season after sweeping the competition this weekend in its fifth annual season opening festival.
 
"A lot of our guys deserve credit tonight," UCO head baseball coach John Martin said. "We had some guys do really good at the plate, on the mound, the guys that didn't play had everyone's back. That was a big win, OBU is a really good team, and we're proud of the guys for fighting through that."
 
OBU scored nine runs in a losing effort Friday afternoon, then posted 21 runs on Saturday, but the Bison had little to say about UCO's pitching on Sunday.
 
Marcos Lopez made his UCO debut and picked up the win after throwing five dominant innings on the mound. He struck out seven batters, allowed just three hits and no runs. Braden Pierce followed in a debut of his own gave up the two OBU runs, but only allowed one hit and a walk in doing so and he also struck out two batters.
 
Then Jacob Bailey took it from there. The sixth-year senior that returned to the Bronchos last month came on in the seventh and shut down the game. He struck out four batters over three innings and picked up the save. Bailey allowed only one hit and one walk.
 
In the ninth, after allowing a single up the middle, he recorded a strikeout before UCO catcher Wyatt Gray fired down the baserunner trying to steal second. Bailey followed with his fourth strikeout to end the game.
 
Central Oklahoma jumped out to a 3-0 lead early in the game Sunday before a few hundred excited fans enjoying the beautiful 60-degree February day.
 
Cameron Uselton led off the bottom of the second inning with a single down the left field line and Kaleb Glass followed with a double to right field to put two in scoring position with nobody out. After Orlando Gonzalez popped up to second, Gray belted another shot down the left field line to pick up a two-RBI double and put the Bronchos on the scoreboard.
 
Gray moved to third on a wild pitch but moments later was trotting home after Landen Wood, again, doubled down the left field line to make it 3-0.
 
The game stayed 3-0 until OBU snuck in a run on a wild pitch in the top of the sixth inning. Kade Self doubled off Pierce, moved to third on a groundout, and then scored to make it 3-1.
 
Bison designated hitter Jayden Schafer walked to lead off the seventh before Bailey came on in relief of Pierce. He reached second on a fielding error by Jaden Parsons, then third on a groundout. He then scored on another groundout to make it 3-2.
 
UCO had an immediate response.
 
Noah Olson doubled with two outs in the bottom of the seventh and Seth Gray followed with a big two-run home run to left field to put the Bronchos in front by the final, 5-2.
 
Seth  Gray went 3-for-4 on the day with two doubles and the two-run home run. Uselton went 2-for-4. Olson, Glass, Wyatt  Gray, and Wood all had doubles, and Gonzalez added the 10th hit of the game for the Bronchos.
 
Central Oklahoma opened the season Friday afternoon with a 14-4 run-rule victory in eight innings over Northern State. The Bronchos then beat Southwestern Oklahoma State 10-2 on Saturday night before topping Oklahoma Baptist on Sunday to start the season 3-0.
 
UCO has a home game Tuesday at 3 p.m. against Southern Nazarene and will host a four-game series against the University of Mary (N.D.) this weekend beginning Friday night.
 
 
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