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Drovers Win in Extra Innings

CHICKASHA – The curse was broken Thursday when Jennifer Bridgforth crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by Leslie Beaty in the eighth inning and No. 18 USAO beat No. 7 St. Gregory’s 3-2 in game two of the doubleheader. SGU took game one 2-0.

Until Bridgforth’s score that came after Morgan Thompson sacrifice bunted her to third base, SGU had beaten the University of Science and Arts five straight times dating back to last season. And until Bridgforth scored, it looked like USAO would be stymied again against the Lady Cavs.

After SGU scored an unearned run in the top of the fourth, the Drovers came away empty and left runners on first and third in the bottom half. In the sixth, USAO had runners on second and third with no outs, but it looked like the team missed its chance when Hillary Brown was thrown out at home on a grounder to the shortstop.

SGU opened the door by walking Beaty on the next at bat to load the bases. Laurissa Eliason stepped into the box and drove one through the right side. The ball glanced off the glove of the second baseman diving for the stop, and Bridgforth and Thompson scored to give USAO its first lead of the season against SGU, 2-1.

SGU answered in the top of the seventh when Brittany Richardson hit a two-out double to right center field that scored Jessica Reed to tie the game.

In the eighth inning, starting pitcher Marina Poddubskaya got out of the inning with a sacrifice bunt, a foul pop-up and a strikeout. She finished the game with eight strikeouts, and she finished the doubleheader with 17 Ks.

It was history after that as Thompson moved Bridgforth to third, and Beaty drover her in for the winning run.

USAO improves to 11-8 overall and now has wins over No. 2 Mobile, No. 7 SGU, No. 19 Rhinehardt and No. 33 Southern Nazarene. The Drovers moved one game ahead of SNU for third place in the Sooner Athletic Conference with a 3-5 record.

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