JOPLIN, Mo. — Top seeded and fifth ranked Missouri Southern softball (51-8) fell to three seed and 11th-ranked Central Oklahoma (46-14) 8-4 Thursday in the 2026 NCAA Division II Central Super Regional opener held at Pat Lipira Softball Complex.
MSSU now has an overall record of 51-8 while Central Oklahoma improves to 46-14 in 2026.
During the game, the Lions recorded four doubles and a home run among its eight hits.
Central Oklahoma seized control in the fifth inning with a grand slam by Brooklyn Lyles, capitalizing on a hit-by-pitch and a double to establish a 7–4 lead. This decisive swing came after Missouri Southern had tied the game at 3-3 with a two-run homer from
Gianna Saggese in the fourth inning, setting the stage for a tightly contested matchup.
Earlier, Southern showed resilience in the third and fourth innings.
Bailey Dillon's leadoff double and
Katie Gray's RBI double helped close the gap to 3–1. Saggese's home run in the fourth, following a single by
Avery Sue Davis, briefly tied the game. However, the inability to sustain offensive momentum beyond these innings proved costly.
In the final inning, the Lions attempted a rally with a single by
Taylor Nuckolls. However, UCO's defense held firm, preventing any further scoring threats and securing the victory.
The Bronchos took an early lead in the first inning after Rylee Lemos doubled and later scored on Haley Gallo's groundout, making it 1-0.
Lemos added a solo homer in the third before an RBI single from Hannah Demoff pushed the UCO edge to 3-0.
In the third inning, Dillon doubled and scored on Gray's double, cutting the deficit to 3-1.
The fourth inning saw the Lions gain momentum.
Avery Sue Davis singled, and Saggese hit a two-run homer, tying the game at 3-3.
UCO responded in the fifth inning with a four-run rally, highlighted by Lyles' grand slam, bringing the score to 7-3.
MSSU added a run in its half of the fifth when
Carsen Tinkler doubled and scored on
Emily Perry's double, narrowing the gap to 7-4.
The Bronchos added an insurance run in the seventh inning with a solo homer by Gallo, concluding the contest with an 8-4 victory over MSSU.
Gianna Saggese led the Lions with a home run, driving in two runs and scoring once.
Bailey Dillon contributed with two hits (2-for-3), including a double, and scored one run.
Emily Perry added a hit and an RBI while drawing a walk.
Katie Gray recorded one hit, a double, and drove in one run.
Kiki Pickens started for Missouri Southern, pitching 2 2/3 innings while allowing three earned runs on four hits and two walks. Pickens faced challenges early, surrendering a home run and exiting after 50 pitches.
Emily Davis (19-5 in 2026) came in as relief, pitching 2 1/3 innings and allowing four earned runs on two hits, including a home run, with two strikeouts.
Kadence Janney closed the game, pitching two innings with one earned run on one hit and contributing 20 strikes out of 32 pitches.
With the loss, MSSU snapped its 15-game win streak.
The Lions made their first-ever Super Regional appearance Thursday.
Missouri Southern next hosts Central Oklahoma in day two of the Central Super Regional Friday. Games are set for 3 p.m., CT (game two) and 5:30 p.m., CT (game three, if necessary) at Pat Lipira Softball Complex.
