TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Haley Gallo drove in nine runs and Rylee Lemos set a school record for career runs scored as No. 16-ranked Central Oklahoma cruised to a doubleheader sweep of intrastate MIAA rival Northeastern State Saturday evening.
Gallo drove in two runs in a 7-1 first-game win before collecting seven RBI – the second-best game in UCO history -- in a 13-3 rout. Lemos scored twice in the opener and crossed home a school record-tying four times in the nightcap to give her 231 career runs in eclipsing Morgan Heard's previous mark of 230.
The Bronchos collected 12 hits in each game in an impressive bounce-back from two low-scoring losses to Rogers State Friday when UCO managed just six total hits.
"I was proud of our offensive response today at NSU after a tough doubleheader against Rogers," head coach Sam Maples said. "Love the competitiveness of our squad. I thought we pitched it really well and our girls came out ready to attack offensively.
"NSU is very athletic and keeps the pressure on with speed and good swings so it was two great wins for our team today."
Central improved to 27-8 on the season and 5-3 in the league with the sweep while dropping the RiverHawks to 20-13 and 7-5.
Kennedy Clark went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run and three RBI to lead the first-game offensive outburst. Gallo, Brooklyn Ryan and Sherri Mason had two hits apiece, with Ryan scoring three runs.
Lemos got UCO off to a quick start with a leadoff homer and the Bronchos quickly went up 2-0 when Ryan singled, stole second and raced home on Gallo's single through the left side.
It became a 4-0 advantage in the third when Ryan reached on a leadoff error and Clark deposited smacked a one-out pitch over the fence for her fourth homer of the season.
NSU scored its lone run in the bottom of the third and the Bronchos continued their assault in the fifth when Hannah Demoff followed Clark's one-out double with an RBI single up the middle to make it 5-1.
UCO completed the scoring in the sixth. Lemos drew a one-out walk, Ryan and Gallo followed with back-to-back singles and Clark drove a two-run double to center field.
Shelby Beard went the distance in the pitching circle, giving up four hits and the lone run while striking out six and walking two. The junior right-hander improved to 13-4 on the season.
Carleigh Kinnaird gave the Bronchos another complete-game pitching outing in the second game. The rookie right-hander allowed five hits and two earned runs with seven strikeouts in moving to 13-2.
Gallo led another 12-hit attack with her monumental 4-fo-5, seven-RBI outing. Ryan, Demoff and Mason added two hits apiece while Lemos went 1-for-1 with three walks in scoring the four runs that gave her the career record.
Gallo got off to a quick start in her big game with an RBI single in the top of the first to plate Lemos, who walked to lead off before going to second on Ryan's sacrifice bunt.
The RiverHawks tied it in the bottom of the frame on a solo homer, but UCO moved in front to stay in the third. Lemos led off with her sixth homer of the season, then Ryan singled and stole second before trotting home on Gallo's double to center.
NSU made it 3-2 in its next at bat and the Bronchos answered back in the fourth with four two-out runs to take total control. Ryan delivered a two-run double and Gallo followed with a two-run homer to make it 7-2.
Mason tacked on an RBI single in the fifth, the RiverHawks scored their final run in the sixth and then UCO really blew it open with a five-run outburst in the seventh. Demoff led off that frame with a homer, Ryan added a sacrifice fly and Gallo completed the damage with a three-run single to reach the seven-RBI mark.
UCO returns home next weekend to host league rivals Northwest Missouri and Missouri Western on consecutive days.
