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PITTSBURG, Kan. -- The No. 8 Central Oklahoma Bronchos came to the PSU Softball Complex Saturday (March 16) and had to fight hard to win two one-run games over the Gorillas, 3-2, and a 10-inning 5-4 thriller. The long ball proved to be the difference in both games.
Pittsburg State freshman Kyndel Shelburn took the loss in the circle in both games. The hurler pitched 9.0 of the 17 innings on the day. She gave up only four of the seven Broncho runs and only five hits, struck out six batters and walked two. She pitched the entire first game and the final two innings of the second. Haleigh Sills through the seven regulation innings in game two, giving up two runs on six hits. Samantha Grove pitched the eighth inning of game two and gave up one run on three hits.
Shelburn was perfect through the first 3.2 innings of game one before Nicole Workman broke the pitchers streak with a home run.
Pitt State took advantage of a Broncho error in the sixth to go up 2-1. Jordan Bradshaw earned a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. With one out Tiffany Brown also earned a walk. Katelyn Birchfield moved both runners with a sacrifice. Kreslee Ketcham reached on an error by the Bronchos short stop that allowed both runners to score.
A leadoff walk to Nicole Workman and a two-run home run from Kacie Edwards gave the Bronchos the 3-2 advantage in the top of the seventh.
It was the Gorillas that would get on the board first in the bottom of the second in game two. Birchfield led off the inning with a base hit to center. Ketcham put down a bunt that was mishandled by the UCO defense that allowed Birchfield to score all the way from first.
Central Oklahoma tied the game in the top of the third. A leadoff walk to the nine hole hitter and a two-out RBI double by Workman toed the game at 1-1.
The Gorillas took a one-run lead again in the bottom of the same inning. Bradshaw again earned a leadoff walk. She stole second and moved to third on a Cheslyn Mitchell ground out. Birchfield drove a sacrifice fly to center for the RBI and the 2-1 lead.
UCO used two hits to tie the game in the top of the fifth.
That score would stay knotted at 2-2 through the remaining regulation innings, though the Bronchos tried to take the game in the top of the seventh. The team had runners on first and second with no outs, when it looked as if a PItt State error would allow a run to score. Sam Cool, the lead runner, rounded third as the ball rolled into the outfield, but a heads up play and rocket throw by Pitt State leftfielder Mitchell gunned Cool down at the plate. Mitchell then made the remaining two outs of the inning.
Although a Central Oklahoma run scored in the eighth inning, the Gorillas played heads up defense. Workman led off the inning with a base hit up the middle. Edwards followed with another base hit. Both runners moved into scoring position on a ground out. A walk loaded the bases with Bronchos. Cool reached on a fielder's choice as her hit deep in the infield was fielded by secondbaseman Molly Stiens and Stiens connected with catcher Kayle Sears to get the out at the plate. The bases were still loaded, however, so a base hit by Tori Collet through the left side scored a run. A second run was coming home, but again Mitchell's arm connected with Sears and Sears applied the tag to end the inning and keep the game within one run.
Mitchell used her defensive effort to boost her offense in the bottom of the inning as she led off the Gorillas with a double down the left line. She came home on a base hit by Birchfield, tying the game at 3-3.
Neither team scored in the ninth, prompting the international tiebreaker rules to take effect in the 10th. A runner was placed on second to start the inning. Workman hit a leadoff home run to score to runs, putting the Bronchos up 5-3. Pitt State retired the next three batters.
Bradshaw started the bottom of the 10th on second for the Gorillas. She moved to second on a ground out by Mitchell and scored on a base hit by Brown. Birchfield was hit by a pitch, putting Brown in scoring position with only one out. Brown helped her chances to score by stealing third, but the next two batters got out, ending the game in the 5-4 loss.
Pitt State is now 12-6 on the season and 2-2 in league play. Central Oklahoma is 17-5 and 3-1 in league play.
The Gorillas will step away from conference play midweek this week as they will play home doubleheaders against Northwestern Oklahoma State at 2 p.m. on Tuesday and Winona State at noon on Wednesday.
