UCO Makes Home Debut Friday

No. 11 Bronchos Will Play Four Games In UCO/OC Softball Festival

EDMOND – No. 11-ranked Central Oklahoma makes its home debut Thursday when the Bronchos open play in the three-day UCO/OC Softball Festival sponsored by Raising Cane's at Gerry Pinkston Stadium.

UCO, 4-2 on the young season, takes on Fort Lewis at 4 p.m. Thursday in the first of four weekend games. The Bronchos come back Saturday to face Eastern New Mexico at 3:30 p.m. and New Mexico Highlands at 5:45 before finishing against Black Hills State at 1 p.m. Saturday.

"This will be a great weekend to continue seeing our team gel together," first-year UCO head coach Sam Maples said. "Four games with singles on Friday and Sunday gives us a good opportunity to focus. The opponents we're seeing have been playing well against tough competition and our team will be ready to go."

It's the second of five season-opening weekend tournaments for the Bronchos, who played six games in the Branson Leadoff Classic Sunday-Tuesday.

UCO goes to Tahlequah, Oklahoma for five games in the Cherokee Nation Festival Feb. 12-14, travels to Topeka, Kansas for four games in the Washburn Invitational Feb. 21-22 and plays five games in the Midwest College Classic in Shawnee, Kansas Feb. 27-March 1.

The Bronchos return home March 7 to host Drury for a doubleheader.

ABOUT THE BRONCHOS: UCO averaged 7.16 runs a game while hitting .290 as a team in the Branson Leadoff Classic. The Bronchos claimed two run-rule wins while also pulling out a 9-8 victory and 7-3 extra inning triumph.

Sophomore transfer Jenna Jobe led the offense, hitting .421 with three doubles and six runs batted in. Senior veteran Kennedy Clark had a .368 average with seven RBI.

Freshman Haley Gallo (.357), junior Brooklyn Ryan (.333), freshman Hannah Demoff (.313) and senior All-American Rylee Lemos (.300) were also at .300 at better.

Ryan scored a team-high eight runs, while Lemos topped the Bronchos in RBI with eight.

Lemos enters the weekend tied for the school career record in triples with 17 while also ranking third in runs (195), third in hit by pitch (33), fourth in stolen bases (64), seventh in doubles (45) and ninth in hits (224).

Junior Shelby Beard paced the pitching staff, going 2-1 in four appearances with a 2.72 earned run average while striking out 16 in 18 innings.

Freshman Carleigh Kinnaird went 2-0 in three appearances with a 5.25 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 16 innings. Opponents hit just .190 against the rookie.

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Players Mentioned

#11 Shelby Beard: P; 5' 9"; Junior; R/R

#14 Kennedy Clark: C/1B; 5' 7"; Senior; L/L

#8 Rylee Lemos: OF; 5' 6"; Senior; L/R

#7 Brooklyn Ryan: OF; 5' 4"; Junior; R/R

#22 Haley Gallo: OF; 5' 7"; Freshman; R/R

#28 Carleigh Kinnaird: P; 5' 8"; Freshman; R/R

#5 Hannah Demoff: IF; 5' 7"; Freshman; R/R

#1 Jenna Jobe: C/IF; 5' 6"; Sophomore; L/R

Players Mentioned

#11 Shelby Beard
: 5' 9"; Junior; R/R
: P

#14 Kennedy Clark
: 5' 7"; Senior; L/L
: C/1B

#8 Rylee Lemos
: 5' 6"; Senior; L/R
: OF

#7 Brooklyn Ryan
: 5' 4"; Junior; R/R
: OF

#22 Haley Gallo
: 5' 7"; Freshman; R/R
: OF

#28 Carleigh Kinnaird
: 5' 8"; Freshman; R/R
: P

#5 Hannah Demoff
: 5' 7"; Freshman; R/R
: IF

#1 Jenna Jobe
: 5' 6"; Sophomore; L/R
: C/IF