UCO Ousted At World Series

5/19/2012 1:34:00 PM

Brittany Weaver

Box Score

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (May 19) – A dream season ended in disappointment for Central Oklahoma here Saturday afternoon in the NCAA Division II World Series.

The Bronchos, who set a number of school records en route to making their second appearance in the World Series, fell short of the national championship game with a 2-0 loss to defending champion UC-San Diego in the semifinals.

It was UCO's second straight loss to the Tritons, who won 4-3 in extra innings Friday night to force the “if necessary” game after the No. 2-ranked Bronchos had won their first two games of the tournament. UCSD and top-ranked Valdosta State will meet for the national title.

It was just the second shutout loss of the season for UCO, which finished a best-ever 46-9, while the Tritons won their ninth straight game in the post-season when facing elimination.

“We had a great run and just came up short,” head coach Genny Stidham said. “I couldn't be more proud of a team than I am this one. They came together and had a great year and it hurts that we didn't accomplish what we came here to do.

“These girls never quit and they never backed down, not all season and certainly not today. We're disappointed, but it can't take away from everything we did this year.”

UCO had a chance to break a scoreless deadlock in the top of the sixth after putting runners on second and third with no outs, but the Tritons escaped the jam and then scored twice in the bottom of that inning to take the lead and eventually the win.

UCSD threatened early in the game when it used two walks and a single to load the bases with two outs, but Rachael Steverson got clean-up hitter Charly Swanberg to ground out to third baseman Macy McKay.

UCO didn't have a runner past second base until the sixth when the Bronchos missed out on a golden opportunity to take the lead. Nathalie Timmermans led off with her third straight base hit of the game and went to third on Kacie Edwards' double to left-center field, but UCSD ace Camille Gaito got a groundout, strikeout and easy fly ball to get out of trouble.

The Tritons then pushed across the only two runs of the game and UCO managed just a one-out single by Kayce Raines in its final at bat.

Timmermans went 3-for-3 to lead UCO's seven-hit attack. Steverson went the distance in the circle for the fourth consecutive game and gave up seven hits.

It was the final game for five seniors – Steverson, Timmermans, Raines, Brittany Weaver and Megan Whitmire.

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