PITTSBURG, Kansas – A fast start, a dominant pitching outing and another solid defensive performance was the recipe for success in Central Oklahoma's 12-1 thrashing of Pittsburg State in the championship game of the Central Regional II Tournament on a hot and muggy Saturday afternoon.
Haley Gallo blasted a two-run home run to help stake the Bronchos to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning and Carleigh Kinnaird hurled a three-hitter as UCO bounced back from a 3-1 first-game loss to tame the Gorillas for the title.
The No. 11-ranked Bronchos improved to 45-14 in advancing to next week's Central Super Regional against No. 7 Missouri Southern. The Lions captured the Central Regional I crown Saturday and will host the best-of-three series next Thursday and Friday, with the winner advancing to the Division II Championship Finals.
UCO managed just four hits in the tight first-game loss that forced the "if necessary" game, but the deciding contest was never in doubt. The Bronchos scored three times in the first, four in the second and three more in the third to build a 10-1 cushion on their way to ending it after five innings on the eight-run rule.
"What a response from our team after game one," head coach Sam Maples said. "We kept it really positive and just tipped out hat to a great pitcher who did an awesome job.
"So for us to just come out and still be who we are and not hang our heads and think about the past was huge. We stayed in the moment and I'm just really proud."
Gallo sparked UCO's quick start. The freshman right fielder showed no effects of a knee injury that knocked her out of Friday's 4-3 win over Rogers State and followed Brooklyn Ryan's one-out double with a line drive missile over the center field fence to made it 2-0 three batters into the deciding game.
Jenna Jobe kept the inning going with a two-out single to left, moved to third on Hannah Demoffs's bloop single to right and scored on a wild pitch to up the lead to 3-0.
The Gorillas manaaged their only run on two hits in the bottom of the first and then didn't threaten again against Kinnaird.
"It's always great to put up a three spot in the first inning and Carleigh just kind of rank with it," Maples said. "She did great. And our defense was great, with Sherri Mason at third leading us once again."
The Bronchos added to their advantage in the second. Rylee Anglen drew a one-out walk and Ryan delivered a two-out homer, this one a deep blast to center field. Gallo stayed hot with a single, Kennedy Clark walked and back-to-back RBI singles by Jobe and Demoff made it 7-1.
UCO pushed the cushion to 10-1 without a hit in the third, turning four walks, an error and a wild pitch into three runs
Two more runs came in the fifth as Gallo led off with a solo homer to left-center and Brooklyn Lyles added an RBI single.
Kinnaird put PSU down in order with three straight groundouts, two to Mason at third and the last one to Anglen at second to end it and set off a wild celebration on the field.
Gallo went 3-for-3 and Jobe 3-for-4 to pace a 13-hit attack, with Ryan, Demoff and Lyles adding two hits apiece.
Kinnaird was sensational in the circle in moving to 18-4 with her 11th complete game of the season. She allowed three hits and the lone run without a walk in going the full five innings, needing just 59 pitches.
Pitt State jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first game before Madison Hamilton came on to pitch in the second. The rookie was outstanding in shutting down Gorillas the rest of the way, giving up just one hit in the final 5.1 innings.
But UCO couldn't muster any offense of its own, managing just four hits. The lone run came in the third when Mason punched a single to center field, moved to second on Anglen's sacrifice bunt and scored on Rylee Lemos' single to right.
That set up the winner-take-all game and the Bronchos were up to the challenge.
