Edmond, Okla. - The Missouri Southern softball program battled the No. 5 Central Oklahoma Bronchos in a double header on Sunday, Apr. 30th with heart breaking losses at Gerry Pinkston Stadium sending the Lions into the MIAA Tournament as the second seed.
Southern (36-11, 21-5 MIAA) was led by
Leighton Withers in the first game going 1-for-2 with a run scored and being walked once,
Emily Perry collected the lone RBI of the game and
Abby DeSanto scored a run as well.
Neither team was able to score a run in the first of second innings before Central Oklahoma (43-6, 23-3 MIAA) scored two runs in the third inning to take a 2-0 lead. The Bronchos added three runs in the sixth before the Lions mounted a comeback in the seventh inning. In the seventh inning Southern scored first off a wild pitch allowing Withers to reach home safely before a Perry single to third base scored DeSanto from third but with bases loaded and two outs the Lions were unable to add more runs and ended the first game with a 5-2 scoreline.
Game two was a pitchers duel with both teams utilizing their game one designated players in the circle.
Kara Amos pitched 7.1 innings for the Lions striking out four while issuing 10 fly outs and eight ground outs.
Yazmin Vargas led the way from the plate going 3-for-4 with
Emily Perry going 2-for-4 with one run scored.
The Lions got off to a hot start as Perry began the game with a double to left center followed by a Vargas bunt single that allowed Perry to score to give the Lions a 1-0 lead heading into the second inning following the Bronchos going down in order in the bottom half of the first. In the second inning Central Oklahoma got on the board to tie it up at 1-1 following an RBI single through the left side with Amos able to get the third out with a full count fly out to right field.
Southern almost sealed the game in the seventh inning with a DeSanto double to left field staying in the facility by the high wall and wind blowing in with the Lions unable to score the runner from second following the hit. In the bottom half of the inning Amos issued a fly out to right field, an unassisted ground out to first base and swinging strikeout to send the game into extra innings.
For only the fourth time this season the Lions went into extras and put immediate pressure onto the Bronchos with back-to-back singles by Perry and Vargas coupled with an error moving runners onto third and second base. Following two outs and a Withers walk the Lions had runners on the corners but could not score with the Bronchos escaping the inning without giving up a run.
UCO began the bottom half of the eighth with a ground out but back-to-back hits by the team and a walk forced the bases loaded with one out. The Bronchos would secure the game with a short grounder between third base and the circle allowing a runner to reach home before the throw.
The Lions will be the second seed in the MIAA Tournament and play Emporia State in the first round at 5:30pm from Field One at the Envista Softball Complex in Topeka, Kan on Wednesday, May 3rd.
