After being limited to four hits and four baserunners in the previous game, third-seeded Central Oklahoma’s bats came to life as the Bronchos decked second-seeded Pittsburg State 12-1 in five innings Saturday afternoon in the sub-regional championship game at the PSU Softball Field.
The Bronchos (45-14) advance to the Central Region super regional at Missouri Southern later this week.
The Gorillas, who beat UCO 3-1 in Saturday’s first championship round game, finish with a 48-11 record.
Haley Gallo led UCO’s offense with two home runs among her three hits. She drove in three runs and scored four runs.
The Bronchos grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first inning against Emma Crabb (16-5), highlighted by Gallo’s two-run homer to center field.
They added four runs in the second off Lexi Franklin, half of the runs coming on Brooklyn Ryan’s homer to center field.
The scored three runs in the third off Amanda Gibilisco without getting a hit, capitalizing on four walks, an error and a wild pitch. Gallo hit her second homer – also to center – leading off the fifth.
The Bronchos rapped 13 hits, including three by Jenna Jobe and two apiece by Ryan, Hannah Demoff and Brooklyn Lyles.
“We couldn’t stop it,” Gorillas coach Josh Barnes said. “They got the momentum, and we couldn’t get an out and do what we needed to do. We kind of ran out of steam.”
Winning pitcher Carleigh Kinnaird (17-5) allowed a first-inning run when Haili Igou singled to center, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on Lexi Davis’ double to left-center.
After that, she retired 13 of the final 15 batters she faced as Davis had an infield hit and Alleyna Rushing reached on an error, both in the fourth inning.
“What a response from our team after Game 1,” UCO coach Sam Maples said in a release. “We kept it really positive and just tipped our cap to a great pitcher who did an awesome job (in the first game).
“So for us to 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.”
PSU 3, UCO 1
Ava Laurent (10-3) turned in a strong pitching performance in her first complete game in three months.
“I’ve been having some arm problems, and it’s been a big setback,” she said. “It’s been a big struggle, a lot of mental stuff that comes with it. Starting to feel better, starting to figure out what’s going to help it and what doesn’t help it … being honest with my body.”
Laurent allowed four hits and recorded 16 outs on flyballs – six on the infield and 10 to the outfield. After the Bronchos scored in the third inning, she retired 14 of the final 15 batters she faced.
“I’m more of an up pitcher,” she said. “Most of my outs are going to be in the air. That wind was pretty brutal, and my teammates had my back, and I couldn’t be more thankful for them.”
Laurent threw 86 pitches, 56 for strikes. Her average of 12.3 pitches per inning is the lowest this season.
“She’s been efficient in her last couple of outings and been great,” Barnes said. “She showed the big-time player that she is. She battled really well.”
She struck out two batters, the last one in the seventh on a changeup that she had struggled throwing during the game.
“Obviously everyone knows I struggle with that changeup,” she said. “But all my teammates behind me, every pitch, they say ‘trust it Ava, trust it, you got it.’ I replayed that in my mind and said trust it, I can do it. There it was.”
Singles by Heather Arnett and Haili Igou and Lexi Davis’ groundout gave the Gorillas a 1-0 lead in the first.
Kyleigh Lamont slugged a two-run home run to center field to make it 3-0 in the second.
“We got an early lead,” Barnes said. “They did a good job of slowing us down offensively after we jumped on them the first two innings. But it was just enough. With Ava’s pitching performance, doing that was just enough.”
Pittsburg St. 120 000 0 – 3 7 0
Central Okla. 001 000 0 – 1 4 0
Ava Laurent and Lexi Davis; Shelby Beard, Madison Hamilton (2) and Jenna Jobe. W—Laurent 10-3. L—Beard 23-7. 2B—UCO: Haley Gallo. HR—PSU: Kyleigh Lamont.
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Central Okla. 343 02 – 12 13 1
Pittsburg St. 100 00 – 1 3 1
Carleigh Kinnaird and Jenna Jobe; Emma Crabb, Lexi Franklin (2), Amanda Gibilisco (3) and Lexi Davis. W—Kinnaird 17-5. L—Crabb 16-5. 2B—UCO: Brooklyn Ryan; PSU: Davis. HR—UCO: Ryan, Haley Gallo 2.
