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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Rylee Anglen
Rylee Anglen
4
Winner Tampa UT 47-10
3
Central Okla. UCO 52-10
Winner
Tampa UT
47-10
4
Final
3
Central Okla. UCO
52-10
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Tampa UT 0 0 0 2 0 1 1 4 8 2
Central Okla. UCO 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 3 10 1

W: Gwen McGinnis (16-5) L: Ritz, Terin (24-5)

Game Recap: Softball |

UCO Drops Tough 4-3 Decision To Tampa

Bronchos Look to Stay Alive in Saturday Afternoon Elimination Game

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Missed scoring opportunities came back to haunt Central Oklahoma in a tense 4-3 loss to Tampa Friday afternoon in the second round of the NCAA Division II Softball Championship at Frost Field.

The No. 4-ranked Bronchos collected 10 hits, but left the bases loaded once and stranded two runners on two other occasions while also getting thrown out at the plate. The fifth-rated Spartans took advantage and scored single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to steal the game.

UCO fell to 52-10 and will look to keep its national championship hopes alive Saturday with a 3 p.m. (Oklahoma time) elimination game against either North Georgia or Western Washington, who meet at 10 a.m.

"A disappointing loss," head coach Cody White said. "Mistakes come at a price and we paid dearly for a couple of those. The team played hard and competed. It was a good ballgame, that was a good team we played against today and it came down to the end. We just have to clean a few things up.

UCO's Division II-best defense snuffed out a Tampa scoring chance in the top of the second inning after the Spartans put runners at second and third with one out. UT tried to score on a fly ball to center field, but Brooklyn Ryan followed the catch with a one-hop dart to catcher Layne Smith at home to nail the runner and complete the inning-ending double play.

The Bronchos loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning on base hits by Emily Deramus and Mari Scott along with an error, but couldn't push across a run.

That changed in the third in dramatic fashion.

Rylee Lemos led off the inning with a double down the left field line and went to third on Rylee Anglen's groundout before Terin Ritz came through with a massive two-out home run to left field. The no-doubt blast was Ritz's 19th of the season and 52nd of her stellar career.

Tampa scored a pair of two-out runs in the top of the fourth to tie it, then a play at the plate prevented the Bronchos from regaining the lead in the bottom of the frame.

Ariah Mitchell opened with a single up the middle and Ryan had a two-out single to center before Lemos followed with a base hit to left. UCO kept to its aggressive style in trying to score Mitchell, but she was thrown out in a close play at the plate to end the inning.

The Bronchos moved back in front in the fifth. Anglen led off with a bunt single and to went to second on pinch-hitter Sherri Mason's clutch sacrifice bunt on a full count. Tampa intentionally walked Ritz and got another out before Mitchell drove an RBI single up the middle.

Ritz was thrown out at third on the play to end the inning, but UCO had a 3-2 lead.

It didn't last.

The Spartans tied it in the sixth, scored again in the top of the seventh to go ahead and the Bronchos couldn't answer.

Ritz took the tough-luck pitching loss, falling to 24-5 on the season. The senior star gave up eight hits while walking four and striking out five in an exhausting 147-pitch outing.

Lemos and Mitchell had two hits apiece to lead UCO's 10-hit attack.

"We've got to keep our heads up," Lemos said. "We've been in this position before and we all know we are a good enough team to get back where we want to be. We just have to keep grinding."
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