Top-10 Battle Ends With Split Decision
CHICKASHA – Rebounding from a tough series last week on the road, the eighth-ranked University of Science and Arts’ softball team split Tuesday’s doubleheader with No. 5 St. Gregory’s at Bill Smith Ballpark.
USAO gave up two unearned runs in a 2-0 loss in Game One but benefited from scoring three unearned runs in Game Two for a 5-2 win.
Senior Kindra Gregory pitched two complete games giving up only two earned runs while striking out 11 batters. The win improved the Drovers to 29-12 overall and 11-7 in league play ending a three-game losing streak to SGU.
In Game One, SGU’s Sharon Bell stymied USAO batters until the bottom of the seventh when Courtney Foley and Morgan Thompson reached with base hits. Gregory earned a two-out walk to load the bases, but a Stephanie Hey strikeout ended the Drover rally.
Before the seventh, Hey’s double to left field – which was just a few feet shy of being her fourth home run of the season – was USAO’s only hit off Bell.
USAO found confidence early in Game Two against SGU pitcher Lacey Owens. The Drovers scored three runs off three hits in the first two innings, and three SGU errors allowed Jessica Darling and Hope Foley to score unearned runs. USAO’s first run of the game came honestly, though, as Amanda Cotton singled up the middle to score Nikki Aguilar in the first inning.
Cotton scored in the third on a Darling basehit, and Darling scored, again, in the sixth after taking an errant pick-off attempt in the back. The ball deflected into shallow left field, and the senior scored with ease to give USAO the only cushion it would need.
The Drovers continue a home stand at 2 p.m. Thursday against Oklahoma Baptist. USAO currently sits in third place in the SAC standings, but the team has already finished its season series against league-leading Oklahoma City, second-place SGU and third-place Southern Nazarene.
The conference teams left on USAO’s schedule have a combined win-loss record of 45-53.
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