EDMOND – Kennedy Clark drove in four first-inning runs with a pair of hits to fuel an early outburst that carried Central Oklahoma to a 15-2 drubbing of Southwestern Oklahoma Friday night on the first day of the Raising Cane's Festival at Gerry Pinkston Stadium.
The No. 13-ranked Bronchos were upset 5-2 by Arkansas Tech in their first game of the day on a stunning final-inning rally before bouncing back against the Bulldogs. UCO scored nine first-inning runs in setting season highs for runs (15) and hits (14).
Central, now 8-2 on the season, returns Monday to face Rockhurst at noon in the final game of the event that was originally scheduled to be played Friday, Saturday and Sunday before being shuffled due to weather concerns.
"I was really disappointed with the first game," head coach Cody White said. "We didn't make anything happen offensively and didn't finish, but I was proud of the way we responded tonight. We were more aggressive at the plate and swung the bats a lot better."
The Bronchos came out firing against SWOSU after giving up an unearned run in the top of the first, parading 14 batters to the plate in pushing across nine runs on six hits, four walks and an error.
Clark did most of the damage, driving a run-scoring single up the middle in her first at bat and ripping three-run double to center field the second time around. UCO also got a two-run double from Ariah Mitchell and RBI hits from Emily Deramus and Rylee Anglen in seizing a 9-1 lead.
The onslaught continued in the second with a five-run assault.
Terin Ritz had the big hit in that inning with a two-run single, while Deramus added an RBI double and Makenzie Fithian a run-scoring single. Brooklyn Lyles' pinch-hit RBI single in the third made it a 15-1 cushion before the Bulldogs scored their final run in the top of the fifth.
Eleven players collected hits in the game, with Clark, Deramus and Mitchell getting two apiece. Shelby Beard picked up the pitching win in improving to 5-0, giving up two hits and one unearned run while striking out four.
UCO appeared on its way to a shutout win in the first game before things unraveled in the top of the seventh when the Golden Suns stunned the Bronchos with a five-run outburst behind four hits, two walks and a key two-out error.
Ritz cruised into the seventh with a one-hitter, but gave up a lead-off single and a bloop hit that Mitchell just missed catching in right field. Ritz got a strikeout, then ATU pushed across its first run on a slow-rolling infield single that put runners on the corners.
A sacrifice fly tied the game and an intentional walk loaded the bases before an error allowed two more runs to score. The Golden Suns added an RBI single to make it 5-2 and UCO went down in order in its final at bat.
The Bronchos broke on top in the first when Rylee Lemos drew a lead-off walk and stole second before scoring on Ritz's two-out single to left field. Ritz went to second on a wild pitch and scored on Clark's double to left to make it 2-0.
UCO managed only three hits after that, but the Golden Suns never threatened until the faithful seventh.
