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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Team
6
Winner Mo. Southern St. MSSU 51-8
1
Central Oklahoma UCO 46-14
Winner
Mo. Southern St. MSSU
51-8
6
Final
1
Central Oklahoma UCO
46-14
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Mo. Southern St. MSSU 0 0 1 0 3 0 2 6 10 1
Central Oklahoma UCO 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 0

W: Kiki Pickens (25-3) L: Beard, Shelby (23-8)

7
Winner Mo. Southern St. MSSU 53-8
4
Central Oklahoma UCO 46-16
Winner
Mo. Southern St. MSSU
53-8
7
Final
4
Central Oklahoma UCO
46-16
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Mo. Southern St. MSSU 0 0 0 3 0 4 0 7 4 0
Central Oklahoma UCO 0 2 0 1 0 1 0 4 7 3

W: Kiki Pickens (26-3) L: Kinnaird, Carleigh (18-5)

Game Recap: Softball | | Chris Brannick

UCO Season Ends In Super Regional

Bronchos Go 46-16 In First Year Of Sam Maples Era

JOPLIN, Mo. – Central Oklahoma's season came to a screeching halt Friday with a pair of losses in the NCAA Central Super Regional against Missouri Southern.
 
UCO in the first year under head coach Sam Maples finished the 2026 campaign 46-16.
 
"Just so proud of this team," Maples said. "This is such an incredibly competitive regional. Two great teams that were so competitive in the circle and the box. I'm proud of our team and it's just unfortunate we didn't get it done today, but just to be here is a tip of the cap to our seniors – what an incredible group of girls that set the foundation for everything we accomplished this season."
 
Central Oklahoma led the best-of-three Super Regional 1-0 after an 8-4 win at Missouri Southern on Thursday. Friday's games were moved to Joplin High School due to rain and the Bronchos needed just one win to advance to the NCAA Division II Softball Championship finals in Chattanooga, Tennessee next week. But after a 6-1 setback in Game 2, the Bronchos faltered in the winner-take-all finale and lost 7-4.
 
UCO jumped out to an early lead in Game 2 thanks to the usual suspect Rylee Lemos. The senior outfielder led the bottom of the first off with a double, moved to third on Brooklyn Ryan's groundout, then scored on an RBI groundout by Haley Gallo to make it 1-0.
 
The Bronchos had two more on in the second but didn't score, then had just one baserunner the rest of the game as MSSU worked its way to the win. Southern tied the game with an RBI single in the third, then put three up in the fifth to take a 4-1 lead. The Lions added two more in the seventh to polish off the 6-1 win.
 
Shelby Beard got the start in Game 2 and threw 4.0 innings, giving up three runs on five hits. She struck out two batters. The junior right-hander finished the season 23-8. Madison Hamilton came on to pitch 3.0 innings and also gave up three runs on five hits. Lemos and Ryan both had hits in Game 2, as did Jenna Jobe and Hannah Demoff.
 
UCO got off to a good start yet again in Game 3. In the bottom of the second, after Jobe reached with a walk, Brooklyn Lyles hammered a two-run home run over the fence in left field to give the Bronchos a 2-0 lead.
 
MSSU answered back with a three-run home run in the fourth. The first hit of the game for the Lions put them in front, 3-2. UCO quickly had a response in the bottom of the inning. Lyles reached with a walk and McKenzie Niehus pinch-ran for her. She moved to second on a groundout, then scored from second on an infield single by Ryan to tie the game, 3-3.
 
The game remained that way until the top of the sixth when Southern took a 4-3 lead on an RBI double. The Lions got three more runs, all unearned, in the inning to take a commanding 7-3 advantage. Ryan added an RBI triple in the bottom of the sixth to score Mari Scott and get one back but the Bronchos couldn't get any closer in the season ending loss.
 
Carleigh Kinnaird started Game 3 for the Bronchos and the freshman went 6.0 innings, allowing seven runs on four hits and four walks. Three of the runs were unearned and she struck out two batters. Kinnaird finished the year 18-5 in the circle. Beard came on to pitch the seventh and got a 1-2-3 inning with a pair of strikeouts.
 
Ryan went 2-for-4 with the two RBIs and a triple. Gallo, Demoff, Lyles, Scott, and Anglen all had one hit each.
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