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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

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Shayla Harper
Shayla Harper
3
Central Oklahoma UCO 22-4, 6-1 MIAA
4
Winner Missouri Western MWSU 21-7, 4-3 MIAA
Central Oklahoma UCO
22-4, 6-1 MIAA
3
Final
4
Missouri Western MWSU
21-7, 4-3 MIAA
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Central Oklahoma UCO 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 3 4 1
Missouri Western MWSU 0 0 0 1 3 0 X 4 6 4

W: Pruetting, Harley (11-2) L: Pipkin, Jordyn (9-2)

7
Winner Central Oklahoma UCO 23-4, 7-1 MIAA
3
Missouri Western MWSU 21-8, 4-4 MIAA
Winner
Central Oklahoma UCO
23-4, 7-1 MIAA
7
Final
3
Missouri Western MWSU
21-8, 4-4 MIAA
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Central Oklahoma UCO 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 7 13 2
Missouri Western MWSU 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 3 6 0

W: Ritz, Terin (7-0) L: Pruetting, Harley (11-3)

Game Recap: Softball |

Seventh-inning Rally Gives UCO Road Split

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (March 25) – Shayla Harper smacked a clutch two-out, three-home home run in the top of the seventh inning to propel Central Oklahoma to a 7-3 second-game victory and give the Bronchos a doubleheader split with Missouri Western Saturday.

No. 5-ranked UCO had a 16-game winning streak snapped with a 4-3 loss in the opener and was in danger of being swept before rallying for five two-out runs in the seventh inning of the nightcap.
 
Harper's homer gave the Bronchos a 5-3 lead and Tatum Long added a two-run shot two batters later as UCO escaped with the crucial road split, moving to 23-4 on the season and 7-1 in Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association play.
 
"Things weren't looking too good, but the girls didn't back down and we came through at the end to get a big split," head coach Cody White said. "Shayla has been swinging it really good lately and it was obviously the biggest hit of the game for us.
 
"We knew it would be tough today and it certainly was. It's hard to win on the road in this conference and we'll take getting three out of four this weekend against these two teams (UCO swept Northwest Missouri Friday)."
 
The Bronchos trailed 3-0 entering the sixth inning of the second game before getting back in it with a pair of runs.
 
Amelya Huggins and Jacee Minter led off the inning with back-to-back singles, before a wild pitch sent Minter to second and pinch-runner Makella Mobly to third. Harper's sacrifice fly got UCO on the scoreboard and Long followed with an RBI single to make it 3-2.
 
The Bronchos then won it with their dramatic seventh-inning rally.
 
Rylee Lemos drew a lead-off walk and was sacrificed to second by Emily Deramus before getting thrown out on at third a fielder's choice that allowed Huggins to reach base. Minter kept the inning alive with a walk on a 3-2 pitch before Harper's long fly ball to left field for her sixth homer of the season put UCO on top.
 
Terin Ritz followed with a double and Long's two-run blast to center field – her fourth of the year – gave the Bronchos a 7-3 cushion.
 
Ritz put the Griffons down in order in the bottom of the seventh to finish off the come-from-behind win. Ritz eared the pitching win in relief, striking out four and giving up two hits in 3 1/3 shutout innings.
 
Long went 3-for-4 to lead a 13-hit attack. Harper, Ritz and Shayleigh Odom added two hits apiece.
 
UCO managed just four hits in the opener, but had leads of 1-0 and 2-1 before MWSU scored three fifth-inning runs to go up 4-2. The Bronchos got close with an unearned run in the sixth, but couldn't complete the comeback.
 
Harper had two of Central's four hits.
 
The Bronchos step out of conference play Tuesday to host Southern Nazarene for a 5 p.m. doubleheader in their first home games since March 1.
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