UCO Sweeps Final Two Games At LSC Crossover

4/3/2011 5:37:30 PM

Brittany Geter

UCO-TAMUK Box
UCO-Abilene Christian Box

SAN ANGELO, Texas (April 3) – Rachael Steverson picked up a win and a save in the pitching circle to spark Central Oklahoma on the final day of the Lone Star Conference Crossover Tournament here Sunday.

Steverson went the final inning to wrap up a 4-2 victory over Texas A&M-Kingsville in the morning and followed with a complete-game five-hitter as the Bronchos cruised past Abilene Christian 6-1 to close out the three-day event.

UCO won its final five games of the tournament that pitted North Division teams against their South Division counterparts after opening with a one-run loss to No. 15-ranked West Texas A&M in improving to 20-15 on the season.

The Bronchos tied with North Division rivals Midwestern State and East Central for the best record in the tournament, but the No. 3-ranked Mustangs took the title by virtue of the tiebreaker for least runs allowed.

“It was a good weekend for us,” UCO coach Genny Stidham said. “We lost a tough game to West Texas to start, but did a great job putting that behind us and played really well the rest of the way. We did a lot of good things offensively, defensively and with our pitching.”

Amanda McClelland earned the pitching win against the Javelinas, giving up six hits and two runs in six innings while striking out five and walking one. Steverson came on to start the seventh and secured the game to earn her third save.

Megan Whitmire had three of UCO's six hits, while Kayce Raines drove in three runs.

TAMUK jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, but the Bronchos answered right back in the top of the second with a three-run uprising.

Carly Skinner's two-out single loaded the bases and Hannah Justus drew a walk to force in one run before Raines followed with a two-run single up the middle to put UCO on top 3-2.

The Bronchos got their final run in the fourth when Katelyn Rouppet led off with a walk, went to second on Skinner's sacrifice bunt and took third on a wild pitch before scoring on Raines' fielder's choice.

UCO took the lead early against the Wildcats and were never threatened with Steverson in the circle. The junior scattered five hits and didn't issue a walk while striking out two in going the distance.

Skinner went 3-for-3 to lead a 10-hit attack, with the Bronchos getting two hits apiece from Raines, Justus and Brittany Geter.

UCO went up 1-0 in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly by Megan Whitmire that scored Raines, who had led off the game with a double before taking third on Megan Bentley's sacrifice bunt.

Justus' RBI single pushed the lead to 2-0 in the second and that became a 4-0 advantage in the third on Brittany Weaver's solo home run and Skinner's run-scoring single.

ACU got its lone run in the bottom of that frame, but the Bronchos made it 6-1 in the sixth as Raines drilled an RBI single and Bentley put down a squeeze bunt.

UCO resumes LSC North Division action next weekend, hosting Northeastern State for a three-game series.

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