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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Team
5
Winner Central Oklahoma UCO 51-7
4
Southern Arkansas SAUSB 45-14
Winner
Central Oklahoma UCO
51-7
5
Final
4
Southern Arkansas SAUSB
45-14
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Central Oklahoma UCO 0 1 0 0 1 2 1 5 11 0
Southern Arkansas SAUSB 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 4 11 1

W: Ritz, Terin (25-2) L: Baylie Thornhill (16-4)

2
Southern Arkansas SAUSB 45-15
5
Winner Central Oklahoma UCO 52-7
Southern Arkansas SAUSB
45-15
2
Final
5
Central Oklahoma UCO
52-7
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Southern Arkansas SAUSB 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 9 0
Central Oklahoma UCO 0 1 0 2 2 0 X 5 8 0

W: Ritz, Terin (26-2) L: Sydney Ward (24-7)

Game Recap: Softball |

Super!

EDMOND (May 19) – Nineteen times during the regular season Central Oklahoma won two games in one day, but pulling off that feat for the 20th time would be no easy task Friday in the NCAA Division II Central Super Regional.
 
Mission accomplished.
 
The No. 4-ranked Bronchos – their backs to the wall after falling to Southern Arkansas in Thursday's opener of the best-of-three series – stayed alive with a thrilling 5-4 first-game win before taking the deciding contest 5-2 to capture the regional championship.
 
UCO will make its fourth Division II Softball Championship trip next week, traveling to Chattanooga, Tenn. to join seven other regional winners in the double-elimination tournament that runs May 25-31. The Bronchos won their only national championship in their last appearance in 2013.
 
"It was a wild day and it was a long day, but we came in confident," said 10th-year head coach Cody White, who eclipsed the 400-win mark (401-144) with the sweep. "Our girls were very loose and relaxed and we knew that we had a chance.
 
"We talked about we had swept 19 doubleheaders this year and this would be the 20th and we just had to do it one more time. They set out on that mission and had the confidence in each other and had the confidence in themselves and it showed today."
 
Mikayla Rutland's run-scoring single in the top of the seventh inning propelled UCO in a tense first-game battle and Terin Ritz shined in the finale, driving in three runs while also going the distance in the circle.
 
The Bronchos improved to 52-7 – a school-record for wins – and have now won 21 of their last 22 games.
 
Tatum Long went 3-for-3 in the title game and gave UCO a lead it would never relinquish with a second-inning RBI single that scored Shayla Harper, who led off the inning with a base hit.
 
The Bronchos made it 3-0 in the fourth when Harper drew a one-out walk and Ritz followed with a massive blast into the wind over the left field wall for her 12th home run of the season.
 
SAU hit a solo homer in the top of the fifth, but Jacee Minter and Ritz had run-scoring singles in the bottom of that frame to push UCO's advantage to 5-1.
 
The Muleriders made things interesting in their final at bat after two quick outs. Three straight hits plated one run and SAU had the tying run at the plate before Rutland tracked down a high pop fly in foul territory to set off a wild celebration on the field.
 
"Our mindset after yesterday was we can do this," Ritz said. "We're a good team, we've been through so much and this was the storm that we've been waiting for the whole season and we charged the storm."
 
Ritz struck out four, walked two and gave up nine hits in picking up her second win of the day, improving to 26-2.
 
SAU was in position to sweep the series in the opener after taking a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth, but the Bronchos answered in the sixth.
 
Shayleigh Odom reached second base on an error to start the inning and Rylee Lemos kept the inning alive with a two-out single to left field. Lemos then stole second before Emily Deramus drove a single up the middle to score both runs.
 
The Muleriders threatened in the bottom of the sixth, putting runners at second and third with one out. Deramus got the second out at the plate on a hard-hit ground ball, then Ritz induced an inning-ending grounder to the circle.
 
The Bronchos took the lead in the top of the seventh. Long ripped a two-out double to left field and after Rylee Anglen pinch-ran for Long, Rutland followed with a line-drive RBI double to left-center to make it 5-4.
 
SAU opened its final at bat with a base hit, but a grounder to Deramus at shortstop turned into a double play and Mariah Hamilton – who drove in all four Mulerider runs with a pair of homers – popped out to short center field to end the suspense.
 
Ritz earned the win, giving up three hits in 2 1/3 shutout innings. Deramus, Long and Rutland had two hits apiece to pace an 11-hit attack.
 
UCO took a 1-0 lead in the second on Long's two-out RBI single, with Hamilton's solo homer tying it in the fourth.
 
The Bronchos loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth when Rutland led off with a single, then Lemos and Deramus were both hit by pitch. Heavy rain swept through the area to force a 30-minute delay, with Minter's RBI fielder's choice making it 2-1 after action resumed.
 
It was a short-lived lead, however, as Hamilton ripped a three-run shot in the bottom half of the inning to put SAU back on top. And then UCO responded yet again to pull out the thriller.
 
Division II's best defense came up big for the Bronchos early to keep Southern Arkansas off the scoreboard.
 
The Muleriders had runners on second and third with no outs in the second after consecutive hits, but were stymied. Deramus caught a pop-up and made a nice play on a hard-hit grounder before Harper knocked down a screamer at third base and threw out the runner from her knees.
 
SAU came right back in the third with a walk and single to put runners at first and second with no outs and again were held scoreless.

 
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