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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Brett Pense
10
Winner Washburn WU 30-19
8
Central Oklahoma UCO 36-13
Winner
Washburn WU
30-19
10
Final
8
Central Oklahoma UCO
36-13
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Washburn WU 0 0 0 1 1 3 0 5 0 10 11 2
Central Oklahoma UCO 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 4 8 11 1

W: Carlgren,C. (5-3) L: Pense, Brett (6-5) S: Hatch,F. (2)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Chris Brannick

Central Oklahoma Drops Playoff Opener To Washburn

Bronchos Nearly Hit Heroic Walkoff Home Run, Fall 10-8 In Game 1

EDMOND – With two on and two out in the bottom of the ninth inning, Ty Hammack pelted a high fly ball to deep center field, but it carried 10 feet short leaving Central Oklahoma on the wrong side of 10-8 decision against Washburn Friday night in the MIAA Baseball Championship first round matchup at Wendell Simmons Field.
 
UCO, the No. 4 seed in the tournament, is now down 1-0 to fifth-seeded Washburn in the best-of-three series. The Bronchos must win Saturday to force Game 3 Sunday. The winner advances to Pittsburg, Kansas for the finals of the league's postseason tournament.
 
"There are a few mistakes you wish you could get back, but that's the way it goes," UCO head baseball coach John Martin said. "You have to be better in the playoffs. Those mistakes will cost you. We fought back and had a chance though. Now we have to fight for it even more tomorrow."
 
UCO trailed 5-2, but cut it to one in the bottom of the seventh. Washburn answered back with five more runs in the eighth to take a commanding 10-4 lead. Then the Bronchos had some magic, albeit not enough, for the bottom of the ninth.
 
Caden Robertson hit a one-out solo home run to right field, then Garrett Long followed Orlando Gonzalez's two-out single with a homer of his own to make it 10-7. Wyatt Gray and Haden O'Toole then both drew walks before Kaleb Glass delivered an RBI single through the left side to score Gray.
 
Hammack came up with two on, and watched the first pitch come in outside for a ball. He took a swing on the second pitch, connected, and lifted it high to deep center field. The center field wall is marked 390 feet. The Washburn center fielder made the catch on the warning track for the final out.
 
Brett Pense took the loss after a five-inning start. He gave up two runs, one earned, on four hits and two walks. Pense struck out eight on the day.
 
But UCO's bullpen was uncharacteristically off on Friday. Austin Burda (1/3), Preston Giltner (2/3), Diego Dominguez (1 1/3), Valek Cisneros (1/3) and Peyton Medeiros (1 1/3) all made short relief appearances.
 
Burda gave up three runs on two hits and a hit batter. Dominguez gave up one, then Cisneros gave up four runs on two hits and two walks.
 
Central Oklahoma did record a dozen strikeouts in the game. Giltner had two, and Cisneros and Medeiros each had one to go with eight from Pense.
 
UCO took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on Friday. Gonzalez singled, stole a base, moved to third on a flyout, then scored when Gray grounded out to second base.
 
Cameron Uselton knocked a pinch-hit RBI single to center field that scored Robertson in the sixth, cutting the Washburn lead to 5-2. Hammack had a two-RBI single to left that scored Gray and O'Toole in the seventh, making it 5-4.
 
Central Oklahoma took the season series from Washburn, 2-1, two weeks ago in Topeka. The Bronchos are now fighting with their backs against the wall to do the same this weekend in Edmond. Game 2 is Saturday at 3 p.m.
 
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