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Drovers Rally Again

CHICKASHA -- An early six-run deficit seems to be part of the new strategy for the USAO softball team. The Drovers rallied for a 7-6 extra innings win over Oklahoma Baptist Thursday afternoon at Bill Smith Ballpark.

It marked the second time in the last three home games that the University of Science and Arts won after trailing 6-0. Last Friday, the Drovers stormed back from a 6-0 first-inning deficit to beat Oklahoma Christian 8-7.

After losing game one 3-2, USAO fell behind 3-0 off seven hits in the first two innings of game two. With three runs off two hits in the top of the fourth, the Lady Bison looked in control with a 6-0 lead.

With only four innings remaining, USAO turned the tides in a hurry scoring five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to make it a game again.

Jennifer Bridgforth, Morgan Thompson and Leslie Beaty began the inning by reaching base and loading the bases. Potentially the biggest play of the game came with the next at bat.

Freshman Hillary Brown hit a line drive right back to the OBU pitcher, who made a great, knee-high catch for the first out of the inning. In what should have been a double play, OBU’s Whitney Heltzel threw the ball away trying to double up Bridgforth at third base. Bridgforth scored easily, and Thompson and Beaty moved into scoring position with only one out.

Thompson scored on a wild pitch, and Sheena Rauniker drew a walk. Hope Foley laid down a perfect two-strike bunt and beat out the throw to load the bases again, and Michelle Bauer helped her own cause with an RBI single that scored Beaty to cut the lead in half 6-3. Laurissa Eliason followed Bauer with another RBI single that scored Rauniker, and Kelsey MacInnes drove in Foley with a sacrifice fly.

USAO scored the tying run in the fifth inning when OBU’s Casey Smith let a routine grounder get through her legs with two outs, and Beaty scored from second on the error.

The Drovers put OBU in quite a bind and ended the game in the bottom of the eighth. Rauniker sacrifice bunted Brown to third base thanks to the international tiebreaker rule. Foley’s squeeze bunt didn’t score Brown, but the senior did get reach safely to keep the pressure on. OBU intentionally walked Bauer to load the bases, and Eliason hit a walk-off single to right-center field to end the game.

USAO improved to 26-18 overall and 10-12 in the league after the two-game split. The Drovers will play the regular season finale Monday at Bill Smith Ballpark against Northwestern Oklahoma. The winner will secure third place in the standings with the SAC Tournament set to begin May 4-5 at Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.

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