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Team
Photo by Tom Dunning
2
Mo. Southern St. MSSU 36-10, 21-4 MIAA
5
Winner Central Oklahoma UCO 42-6, 22-3 MIAA
Mo. Southern St. MSSU
36-10, 21-4 MIAA
2
Final
5
Central Oklahoma UCO
42-6, 22-3 MIAA
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Mo. Southern St. MSSU 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 7 2
Central Oklahoma UCO 0 0 2 0 0 3 X 5 9 0

W: Pipkin, Jordyn (19-3) L: Bailey Lacy (12-2) S: Ritz, Terin (3)

1
Mo. Southern St. MSSU 36-11, 21-5 MIAA
2
Winner Central Oklahoma UCO 43-6, 23-3 MIAA
Mo. Southern St. MSSU
36-11, 21-5 MIAA
1
Final
2
Central Oklahoma UCO
43-6, 23-3 MIAA
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
Mo. Southern St. MSSU 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 7 1
Central Oklahoma UCO 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 6 2

W: Ritz, Terin (17-1) L: Kara Amos (2-3)

Game Recap: Softball |

MIAA CHAMPS!

EDMOND (April 30) – Emily Deramus scored on a close play at the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning to catapult Central Oklahoma past Missouri Southern and hand the No. 5-ranked Bronchos the outright Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics regular season title Sunday afternoon before a packed crowd at Gerry Pinkston Stadium.
 
Deramus' mad dash to the plate on Shayla Harper's slow roller to third base gave UCO a 2-1 second-game win to complete a doubleheader sweep of the Lions. The Bronchos won the opener 5-2 and needed to take the nightcap to claim sole possession of its fifth MIAA championship in 10 years.
 
"That was a great game between two really good teams," head coach Cody White said. "It was a battle all day and we found a way to get it done. It wasn't always pretty, but our girls made a lot of big plays.
 
"I'm super proud of this group for their resiliency, not just today but all season. They've battled all year and have really worked hard at getting better every day. We're going to celebrate today and then put it behind us and turn our attention to what's next."
 
UCO stretched its winning streak to 12 in a row in finishing the regular season 43-6 and 23-3 in league play. The Lions fell to 36-11 and 21-5. The Bronchos will be the No. 1 seed for the MIAA Tournament that starts Wednesday in Topeka, Kan. and will take on No. 8 seed Fort Hays State in the first round.
 
Sunday's second game showdown was an intense pitching and defensive battle from the start and the two teams were deadlocked 1-1 after seven innings.
 
MSSU threatened the top of the eighth, using two hits and error to put runners on second and third with no outs, but the Bronchos miraculously got out of the jam unscathed.
 
A groundout to Harper at third accounted for the first out, then the Lions missed on a squeeze bunt attempt and UCO got the runner on third out after a rundown. Pitcher Terin Ritz finished it off with a strikeout, punching the air emphatically as she left the circle.
 
The Bronchos won it in the bottom of that frame.
 
Deramus got things going with a one-out double to center field and Amelya Huggins followed with a single through the right side. Jacee Minter walked to load the bases and the speedy Deramus was able to beat the throw home on Harper's grounder for the game-winner.
 
UCO managed just six hits, getting two from Huggins. Ritz went the distance to earn the win, scattering seven hits while walking two and striking out five in moving to 17-1 in a gutsy 121-pitch outing.
 
Stout defense and timely hitting led to the first-game win, with the Bronchos having to hold on at the end after taking a 5-0 lead into the seventh.
 
UCO turned two key double plays in the contest while also getting sensational catches by Shayleigh Odom and Rylee Lemos. Odom sprinted from her center field spot to snare a hard-hit line drive in left-center, while Lemos crashed into the right field fence tracking down a deep fly ball.
 
The Bronchos broke a scoreless tie in the third. Odom led off with a double to deep center field, moved to third on Mikayla Rutland's perfect sacrifice bunt and was safe at home on a close play at the plate on Lemos' grounder to shortstop.
 
Lemos reached first on that play and the fleet-footed rookie sped around to score on Huggins' double down the left field line to make it 2-0.
 
It stayed that way until the sixth, when UCO pushed across three runs to take a 5-0 lead.
 
Harper got things going with a one-out solo shot, bashing the first pitch she saw to center field for her 12th homer of the season. Ritz followed with an infield single and Odom ripped a two-out, RBI double off the right field wall before later scoring on an error.
 
The Bronchos looked safe with that 5-0 cushion, but MSSU scored twice in the top of the seventh and had the bases loaded before UCO could seal the verdict.
 
Lemos, Ritz and Odom had two hits apiece to lead a nine-hit attack.
 
Jordyn Pipkin picked up the pitching win, giving up five hits and two runs in 6 1/3 innings to improve to 19-3. Ritz came on to get the final two outs in earning her third save.
 
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