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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

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Ty Chapman
12
Winner Missouri - St. Louis UMSL 1-0
9
Central Oklahoma UCO 0-1
Winner
Missouri - St. Louis UMSL
1-0
12
Final
9
Central Oklahoma UCO
0-1
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Missouri - St. Louis UMSL 0 6 0 0 0 0 4 0 2 12 9 2
Central Oklahoma UCO 2 0 0 4 0 0 1 0 2 9 9 1

W: Arndt, Jacob (1-0) L: Giltner, Preston (0-1) S: Kemp, Nate (1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Chris Brannick

UCO Drops Season Opener For First Time In 10 Years

Central Oklahoma Loses Slugfest With Missouri - St. Louis In 2025 Season Opener

EDMOND – Central Oklahoma dropped the 2025 season opener Friday night in a thrilling back-and-forth affair that ended 12-9 in favor of the visiting Missouri – St. Louis Tritons after three and a half hours of play at Wendell Simmons Field.
 
UCO has four games on the schedule for the seventh annual Edmond First Pitch Classic. The Bronchos are back Saturday to take on Metro State Denver (0-1) and will also play Southeastern Oklahoma State Sunday and East Central Monday.
 
"We fought back after the tough start, but couldn't get it done when we needed it," UCO head coach John Martin said. "The big innings for them weren't good, but we still had a chance. We've just got to learn how to come through in those moments. But it is only the first game. The whole season is in front of us."
 
Martin, who took over the program 10 years ago, lost the season opener for the first time (9-1) Friday night.
 
UCO did get off to a great start. The Bronchos scored two runs on three hits in the bottom of the first to go ahead 2-0. Garrett Casey scored Grant Randall with an RBI single, the third straight hit to start the inning, and Caden Robertson scored Carson Carpenter with an RBI groundout.
 
UMSL responded with six runs on just one hit in the top of the second. Broncho starter Brett Pense, an All-MIAA pick as a freshman a year ago, was chased in the second inning. His final line Friday was 1 1/3 innings pitched, one hit, six runs, three walks, and one hit batter.
 
The Bronchos came roaring back in the fourth inning, scoring four runs to tie the game, 6-6. Orlando Gonzalez hit an RBI double down the left field line to score Ty Hammack. Ty Chapman scored Gonzalez with an RBI single. And Casey hit a two-RBI double up the middle that scored Matt Baughn and Chapman.
 
But again, UMSL responded. The Tritons scored four in the seventh to go back up 10-6. UCO got one back in the bottom half, when Chapman's RBI groundout scored Robertson.
 
In the ninth, UMSL pushed the 10-7 game to 12-7, but UCO wasn't done.
 
The Bronchos scored two more – first with a bases loaded error, and then a bases loaded walk right after that. UCO had the bases loaded still with just one out, but Carpenter popped up to the shortstop, the Casey grounded into a fielder's choice that ended the rally and the game.
 
Central Oklahoma had nine hits Friday night. Casey went 2-for-5 with three RBIs. Chapman went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Randall, Carpenter, Hammack, Gonzalez, and Garrett Long all had one hit each. Carpenter, Casey, and Gonzalez each had a double.
 
UCO ended up using eight pitchers on Friday night. Chase Yarger threw 2 2/3 innings, Tristan Wittau tossed two innings. Preston Giltner faced two batters, Denton Whiteside recorded one out, and Austin Burda two. Andrew Talburt (1 1/3) and Brett McComas (2/3) finished off the night.
 
The Bronchos struck out 10 UMSL batters. Wittau led the way with three, Yarger and Burda had two each, and Pense, Talburt, and McComas had one each.
 
 
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