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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Hannah Demoff
Hannah Demoff
7
Winner Rogers St. RSU 36-18
5
Central Oklahoma UCO 42-13
Winner
Rogers St. RSU
36-18
7
Final
5
Central Oklahoma UCO
42-13
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Rogers St. RSU 0 2 0 0 0 3 2 7 9 1
Central Oklahoma UCO 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 5 8 1

W: Harley Culie (19-9) L: Hamilton, Madison (3-3)

Game Recap: Softball |

Bronchos Fall To Rogers State in League Tournament

UCO Drops Tough 7-5 Decision to Hillcats in MIAA Semifinals

EMPORIA, Kansas – A late rally that gave Central Oklahoma new life turned sour when Rogers State answered back in its final at bat to top the Bronchos 7-5 in a hard-fought MIAA Softball Championship semifinal tussle Friday afternoon. 
 
The Bronchos had managed just three hits and trailed 5-1 going to the bottom of the sixth before breaking through with a four-run, five-hit outburst to pull even at 5-all and grab the momentum. 
 
But the Hillcats quickly grabbed it back, hitting a two-run home run in the top of the seventh to regain the lead before making three brilliant defensive plays in UCO's final offensive try to close out the game. 
 
No. 12-ranked UCO fell to 42-13 while Rogers improved to 36-18 in moving into Saturday's 12 p.m. finals against top-seeded and No. 7 Missouri Southern. 
 
The winner of that game earns the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Division II Softball Championship, though the Bronchos are virtually assured of gaining an at-large bid. The 64-team national tournament field will be announced Monday morning. 
 
"We had a tremendous offensive fight today," head coach Sam Maples said. "When we tied it up 5-5 that was the best feeling and I was so proud of our team. Rogers made some great defensive plays and their pitching is always excellent. 
 
"Our conference is so competitive and it was a great fight. A tough loss no doubt, but credit to a gritty Rogers State team and a testament to how great our league is overall." 
 
The Hillcats grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second, with center fielder Brooklyn Ryan gunning down a runner at the plate for the final out to keep UCO close. 
 
It stayed that way until the fifth when the Bronchos finally got on the scoreboard on Hannah Demoff's leadoff homer. The freshman shortstop smashed her seventh dinger of the season over the left-center field fence to make it 2-1, but RSU promptly came back with three runs in the top of the sixth to go up 5-1. 
 
UCO finally got its offense untracked in the bottom of that frame. 
 
Rylee Lemos led off with a single through the right side and Ryan – after fouling off five two-strike pitches – followed with a base hit to left field. Lemos scooted home on Kennedy Clark's one-out single down the left field line. 
 
Jenna Jobe kept things going, roping a two-run double to left to score Ryan and pinch-runner McKenzie Niehus. Then Demoff came up big again, driving a single up the middle to plate pinch-runner Mari Scott to pull the Bronchos even at 5-5. 
 
The excitement of tying the game was short-lived, however, as RSU came back with a two-run homer in the top of the seventh to move back in front. 
 
UCO had one final chance, but the Hillcats came up with three huge defensive plays to end it. Pitcher Harley Culie made a leaping snag on Rylee Anglen's leadoff line drive up the middle before RSU tracked down back-to-back deep fly balls by Lemos and Ryan. 
 
Clark and Demoff both went 2-for-3 with two RBI to lead UCO's eight-hit attack. 
 
 
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