EDMOND – Terin Ritz and Shelby Beard had gritty complete-game pitching outings and Central Oklahoma scratched out a pair of tense one-run wins over Pittsburg State Friday afternoon at Gerry Pinkston Stadium in the MIAA opener for both teams.
The No. 13-ranked Bronchos clipped the Gorillas 4-3 in the opener to end a three-game losing streak to PSU before taking the nightcap 2-1 in stretching their winning streak to eight straight. UCO improved to 20-3 heading into Sunday's 2 p.m. league home twinbill against Missouri Southern.
"Those were two intense games and it was a fun atmosphere," head coach Cody White said. "I thought both teams played pretty well and we just made a couple of more plays. Pitt State is really dangerous offensively, so I was especially proud of our pitching and the way the defense played."
Ritz scattered seven hits and struck out four in the first game in improving to 4-2, while the unbeaten Beard moved to 10-0 with a three-hit gem in the second contest. The duo limited PSU star Heather Arnett to a 1-for-8 day at the plate after she entered the day with a conference-best .565 average and UCO's air-tight defense didn't commit an error.
Rylee Lemos went 3-for-3 with two doubles and a home run to lead a seven-hit attack in the opener as the Bronchos prevailed in a back-and-forth battle.
UCO broke on top 1-0 in the third when Lemos doubled to lead off the inning, took third on Rylee Anglen's bunt singe and scored on Kennedy Clark's fielder's choice. Pitt State came back with two runs in the top of the fourth to take the lead, with the Bronchos surging ahead in the fifth.
Ritz pulled UCO even when she obliterated a 3-2 pitch and sent it soaring over the right-center field wall for a solo homer, her fifth of the year. Emily Deramus then drew a walk after working out of an 0-2 count and scored when PSU's left fielder bobbled Ariah Mitchell's double down the line, making it 3-2.
The Gorillas tied it in the top of the sixth but Lemos came through in the bottom of that frame, drilling a one-out, line-drive homer – her team-high eighth – to right field.
Ritz then finished off the hard-fought victory in the top of the seventh with three straight groundouts.
The second game was equally as close.
The Bronchos went in front in the third when Lemos led off with a single to right, moved over on Clark's one-out single to left and scooted home on Ritz's double to right-center. Lemos has scored at least one run in all 23 of UCO's games this season.
Central made it 2-0 in the fourth. Kya Watson walked to start the inning, moved to second on Sherri Mason's sacrifice bunt and took third on Brooklyn Ryan's base hit before pinch-runner Makenzie Fithian scored on Anglen's sacrifice fly.
PSU scored its lone run in the seventh and had a runner on first with the dangerous Arnett at the plate, but Lemos made a diving catch on a sinking line drive to left field to end the game.
