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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

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Amelya Huggins
Amelya Huggins
2
Central Oklahoma UCO 54-9
3
Winner Grand Valley St. GV 48-6
Central Oklahoma UCO
54-9
2
Final
3
Grand Valley St. GV
48-6
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Central Oklahoma UCO 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 5 3
Grand Valley St. GV 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 3 6 1

W: Hannah Beatus (30-1) L: Ritz, Terin (27-3)

Game Recap: Softball |

Tough Loss Ends Historic Season

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (May 28) – A controversial game-ending play at the plate ended Central Oklahoma's historic 2023 campaign Sunday afternoon in the NCAA Division II Softball Championship.
 
The No. 4-ranked Bronchos were called for obstruction on would have been the third out in the bottom of the seventh inning and No. 8 Grand Valley State escaped with a 3-2 victory in advancing to the best-of-three finals.
 
UCO won a school-record 54 games in finishing 54-9 while winning the MIAA regular season and tournament titles and the Central Region crown in making its fourth appearance in the Division II Championship.
 
"It's a heartbreaking way to be eliminated," 10th-year head coach Cody White said. "The girls played hard, they competed and did a lot of things right so I was really proud of them. It was a tough game."
 
The Bronchos grabbed a 2-0 lead in the third on Emily Deramus' towering two-run homer and held that through the fifth as Jordyn Pipkin handcuffed GVSU on just two hits.
 
But an inning-opening error in the sixth helped lead to two unearned runs that tied the game and the Lakers won it in the seventh.
 
GVSU opened the final frame with a single and stolen base, then reliever Terin Ritz got a strikeout and groundout. Kaitlin Lynch lined a base hit to left-center field that Shayleigh Odom fielded on the run and her throw to catcher Amelya Huggins was on the money.
 
Huggins made a great tag on the runner for what appeared to be the inning-ending out that would have forced extra innings, but the home plate umpire immediately made the obstruction call as the Lakers flooded the field in celebration.
 
A video review of the play upheld it and UCO's season was over.

"I'm extremely proud of this team and what we accomplished this season," White said. "At the deepest level this has been one of the most fun years I've had.

"We're obviously disappointed about what happened today, but it doesn't take away from everything we did. It's a special, special group."
 
UCO had a golden opportunity to take the early lead after loading the bases with one out in the second on Shayla Harper's infield single, Ritz's base hit to center field and Odom's walk, but two straight strikeouts ended the threat.
 
The Bronchos came right back in the third against GVSU All-American pitcher Hannah Beatus. Rylee Lemos led off with a single up the middle and Deramus followed with a high fly ball that easily cleared the right field fence for a school freshman record 14th homer.
 
But UCO was unable to hold onto that 2-0 lead.
 
The Bronchos finished with five hits, getting one from five different players. Pipkin gave up four hits and two unearned runs in the first six innings, striking out two and walking one. Ritz took over in the seventh and suffered the loss, finishing 27-3 for the season.
 
It was the final game for three seniors – Harper, Huggins and Mikayla Rutland.
 
"Our three seniors were incredible leaders for us all season and we're going to miss them," White said. "They're amazing players and people and it's been a joy to have them in our program."
 
 
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