Collet Carries Bronchos

5/9/2014 5:54:00 PM

Hannah Justus

Box Score

MANKATO, Minn. (May 9) – Tori Collet had a career day at the plate and Hannah Justus made a brilliant play in the field to end the game as Central Oklahoma trimmed Emporia State 7-5 in the first round of the NCAA Division II Central Regional II Tournament here Friday afternoon.

Collet went 5-for-5 with five runs batted and the sophomore catcher had the game-winning hit in the top of the ninth inning with a three-run double that broke a 4-4 tie, though the Bronchos needed defensive heroics from Justus in the bottom of that frame to secure the dramatic victory.

The Hornets got a one-out solo homer to pull within 7-5 in their final at bat and loaded the bases with two outs before Justus came through with the play of the day to end the thrilling back-and-forth battle. The senior shortstop made a diving stop on a hard-hit grounder up the middle that probably would have scored two runs and flipped the ball to second baseman Ally Dziadula for a game-ending force-out.

"It was a crazy game and hats off to Emporia for the way they fought," head coach Cody White said. "But we have fighters on our team as well and I couldn't be more proud of how our players came through today. Tori came up big all day and Hannah made some great plays in the field."

It was the 10^th straight NCAA post-season win for the Bronchos, who went 9-0 in winning last year's national championship. UCO, now 41-15, advanced to a winner's bracket game against Southeastern Oklahoma at 10 a.m. Saturday.

The Savage Storm upended host Minnesota State-Mankato 5-3 in Friday's first game. MSU-Mankato and Emporia meet in an elimination game at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

The Bronchos took a 4-0 lead into the seventh inning, but ESU forced extra innings with an improbable two-out, four-run rally and it stayed deadlocked until the ninth.

Brooke Zukerman and Kalynn Schrock started the top of the ninth with consecutive infield singles and both advanced on Emily Ditmore's sacrifice bunt before Sam Cool drew a one-out walk to load the bases.

Collet followed with her second double of the game, this one a sinking shot that scooted past ESU's diving left fielder as three runs crossed the plate to put UCO on top 7-4.

The Bronchos ended up needing that three-run cushion, with Justus' final play saving the day.

The game was a scoreless tie until UCO finally broke through in the fourth inng with a four-run volley.

Schrock started that big inning with a lead-off double down the left-field line and Ditmore walked before both advanced a base on Cool's sacrifice. Collet followed with a clutch double to the fence in left field to score both runs and make it 2-0.

Collet came home on an error that allowed Kaylee Brunson to reach second and Dziadula completed the big inning with a run-scoring single to center field.

The Hornets had runners on second and third in both the first and fifth innings, but Schrock got out of both those jams and took a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the seventh when ESU managed to force extra innings.

The Hornets started the seventh with two straight groundouts, but back-to-back singles and a hit batter loaded the bases and Kaitlyn Cason ripped a three-run double to make it 4-3. Andrea Piezuch followed with a bloop single to left field to tie it before Schrock got out of the inning.

The Bronchos had a chance to break the deadlock in the top of the 10^th when Collet and Justus had consecutive one-out bloop singles and the bases were loaded after a two-out error, but a force-out ended the threat.

ESU almost won in the bottom of the ninth after Jacie Stephens was hit by pitch to start the inning and went to third after a wild pitch and groundout. Justus made the final two plays on ground balls to get UCO out of the inning, with Ditmore making a big stretch at first base to secure the last out.

Brunson, Zukerman and Schrock had two hits apiece in a 14-hit attack for the Bronchos. Schrock went the distance and earned the pitching win, improving to 25-8.

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