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Jordyn Pipkin
Jordyn Pipkin
4
Central Oklahoma UCO 43-14
5
Winner Southern Nazarene SNU 40-16
Central Oklahoma UCO
43-14
4
Final
5
Southern Nazarene SNU
40-16
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Central Oklahoma UCO 1 0 2 0 0 1 0 4 4 1
Southern Nazarene SNU 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 5 8 2

W: Maddie South (6-3) L: Pipkin, Jordyn (15-6)

Game Recap: Softball |

UCO Eliminated From National Tournament

Bronchos Fall 5-4 To Southern Nazarene

CLAREMORE, Okla. – One swing of the bat led to a stunning loss and the end of Central Oklahoma's season Friday afternoon in the NCAA Division II Central Regional II Tournament.
 
The No. 12-ranked Bronchos fell to Southern Nazarene 5-4 on a grand slam in the bottom of the seventh inning in the elimination contest. UCO was unable to take advantage of multiple scoring chances throughout the game and that turned out to be a fatal flaw in the final frame.

"We had runners in scoring position multiple times and didn't produce, but that's part of the game," head coach Cody White said. "This game is hard. It's difficult to hit and as anybody knows, hitting is up and down and I just felt like things weren't clicking for us this weekend."

UCO totaled just 13 hits and seven runs in three regional games after entering the tournament averaging 8.4 hits and 6.1 runs an outing.
 
The Bronchos stranded 10 runners against SNU, including seven in scoring position. UCO managed just four hits, but benefitting from eight walks, and was able to scrounge up a 4-1 lead entered the seventh.
 
It wasn't enough.
 
SNU had the bottom of its batting order coming up, but used a lead-off walk and error to put the first two runners on before both advanced on a groundout to first baseman Tatum Long. An infield single loaded the bases for lead-off hitter Hailey Evans, who drilled the dramatic walk-off homer.
 
The last-inning loss ruined a magnificent effort by pitcher Jordyn Pipkin against the hard-hitting Crimson Storm.
 
"Jordyn was really in control from the start," White said. "She threw great, her pitch count was down and that's kind of why we wanted her to go finish that game. We had the opportunity to go get three outs there at the end and we didn't do that, which enabled them to flip the lineup and get to their best hitter."
 
The Bronchos took an early lead in the game, pushing across a run in the top of the first without a hit to end a 13-inning scoreless streak.
 
Rylee Lemos walked to open the game and one-out free passes to Terin Ritz and Jacee Minter loaded the bases. McKenna Johnson reached on a fielder's choice that resulted in an out at the plate, then Ritz hustled home on a wild pitch to put UCO on top.
 
SNU answered back quickly, using a pair of doubles to tie it in the bottom of the first.
 
The Bronchos didn't register their first hit until the third when they broke that deadlock with a pair of runs.
 
Ritz and Minter had back-to-back one-put singles, then Johnson walked to load the bases. Shayleigh Odom lofted a fly ball to short right-center field and two Crimson Storm outfielders collided while trying the make the catch to allow Ritz and Minter to scoot home.
 
UCO made it 4-1 in the sixth.
 
Layne Smith poked a single to left field to start the inning, Ryan Anglen followed by slapping a single to left and Emily Deramus reached on a one-our error to load the bases. Smith trotted home on Ritz's sacrifice fly that was caught against the wall in right field.
 
But the three-run lead wasn't enough.
 
UCO ended the season 43-14 while making its fifth straight national tournament appearance and the 11th in 13 years.
 
"Making a regional is something to be proud of," White said. "This is one of the toughest regions in the land and it's tough to do. I tell our team often to celebrate those moments. They don't come every day and they don't come for everybody. They worked and they earned it and I'm proud of them."
 
It was the final game for five UCO seniors – Long, Minter, Odom, Makella Mobly and Brooke Niver.
 

 
 
 
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