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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Ty Hammack
12
Arkansas Tech ATU 8-13
14
Winner Central Oklahoma UCO 16-5
Arkansas Tech ATU
8-13
12
Final
14
Central Oklahoma UCO
16-5
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Arkansas Tech ATU 0 0 0 7 0 2 0 3 0 12 10 1
Central Oklahoma UCO 0 1 0 0 4 0 1 8 X 14 18 0

W: Norvell, Gage (1-0) L: Turner Seelinger (0-1) S: Cisneros, Valek (6)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Chris Brannick

UCO Wins Wild Midweek With Arkansas Tech

Bronchos Take 14-12 Decision With Eight-Run Eighth Inning Comeback

EDMOND – Central Oklahoma scored eight runs in the eighth inning and pulled out a 14-12 victory over Arkansas Tech in a Tuesday non-conference game at Wendell Simmons Field.
 
After the wild rally, Valek Cisneros came on to close it out in the top of the ninth. He recorded his sixth save of the season and the 25th of his career with the Bronchos. He now has more saves than any player in school history. Cisneros also tied the MIAA career record on Tuesday.
 
"Happy for Val," UCO head baseball coach John Martin said. "He's been great for us for three years and it's always cool to see someone set a school record. And there's been a lot of really good baseball at UCO. Happy for him.
 
"And it was good to get a win," Martin continued. "We had to fight for it but I'm proud of the guys for not giving up. They kind of jumped on us today, but we kept fighting back and found a way to get it done."
 
Central Oklahoma improved to 16-5 on the season with the win. The Bronchos were ranked No. 25 in the country in Monday's Division II Baseball Top 25, and No. 29 in the country in the ABCA Coaches Top 30. The Bronchos are 6-3 in the MIAA and will play at Fort Hays State this weekend with the three-game series beginning Friday.
 
Tuesday in Edmond, the game started out slow. The Bronchos got a 1-0 lead in the second, and it was still that score heading to the fourth inning. But Arkansas Tech exploded for seven runs in the top of the fourth.
 
UCO responded with four in the fifth, but ATU kept pushing back with two ore in the sixth inning. UCO trailed 12-6 heading to the bottom of the eighth.
 
Matt Baughn led off with a double to left and Orlando Gonzalez singled to left to follow. Joe Ricchio did the same and scored Baughn to start the rally and make it 12-7.
 
After a pitching change, Garrett Long drew a walk and Grant Randall hit a two-RBI double to center field, scoring Gonzalez and Ricchio to make it 12-9.
 
Carson Carpenter got on with a weird fly ball 10 feet out of the box that dropped between three defenders for a single and that loaded the bases. After the first out of the inning, Ty Hammack stepped up to the plate and delivered a grand slam to left field that put the Bronchos in front 13-12.
 
Baughn came up for a second time in the inning and hit a solo homer to left to make it the final, 14-12.
 
Ricchio scored Gonzalez with an RBI single in the second inning to make it 1-0. Ricchio scored on a fielder's choice in the fifth and Caden Robertson hit a three-run home run later in the inning to make it 7-5, ATU.
 
In the seventh, Carpenter scored unearned on an ATU throwing error to make it 9-6.
 
Central Oklahoma used 10 pitchers on Tuesday in a bullpen shuffle for the Bronchos. Caleb Burchfield got the start and threw 3 1/3 innings. He struck out three batters. Preston Giltner came on but did not record an out, Trent Gerber threw 1/3 of an inning, and Dillon Dibrell did too.
 
Brody Berlowitz threw the fifth, John Demcher threw 2/3 of an inning in the sixth, and Michael Lopez threw 1 2/3 innings. Austin Burda also made an appearance but did not record an out. Gage Norvell threw 2/3 of an inning to get to the ninth. He earned the win being in the lineup at the time of Central's comeback.
 
Cisneros came on in the ninth and walked the leadoff before getting a double play groundout and a flyout to end the game.
 
Josh Rutland recorded 24 saves in his career that spanned the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Cisneros has reached that mark plus one more in three seasons (2023-25). Central Missouri's Chris Matlock (2008-09) and Pittsburg State's Ryan McKay (2013-16) recorded 25 saves each in their respective careers. Cisneros joins them with the most in MIAA history and can stand alone with one more this season.
 
Central Oklahoma plays at Fort Hays State this weekend. The Bronchos will visit Rogers State on March 18 for a midweek MIAA matchup before returning home next weekend to face Missouri Southern.
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