Oklahoma City – At the conclusion of day two of the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament Presented by Netting Pros/STADIONIC, the championship game will be making its return to Bill Smith Ballpark in Chickasha, Oklahoma, for the second-straight year and will feature No. 4 Science & Arts and No. 5 Oklahoma City for the eighth consecutive time.
Southwestern Christian 3, Mid-America Christian 2 (9 Innings)
The opening game of the day in the Chickasha bracket was a thrilling extra-inning battle, but Southwestern Christian staved off elimination with the game-winning play in the top of the ninth as pinch-runner Kamrynn Snapp stole second, got down to third on an errant throw to second before scoring on a wild pitch to seal the 3-2 victory over Mid-America Christian.
Lainey King tossed seven shutout innings in relief to get the win, allowing only four hits and no walks while striking out three. Kylee Coy and Danielle Burleson each led the batting efforts, slashing 1-for-4 with an RBI apiece, while Hannah Keele and Ebony Garza also went 1-for-4 with a run apiece.
Gia Reynosa tossed a complete game in the losing effort, allowing three runs with just one earned on six hits with three walks, and six strikeouts. Serena Rodriguez and Heidi Noisey led MACU’s bats, slashing 2-for-4 with Rodriguez notching a double, an RBI, and a run scored.
Texas Wesleyan 10, Langston 9
Texas Wesleyan and Langston put together some fireworks with the bats in the first game of the day on the Oklahoma City side of the bracket before the Rams staved off elimination with a 10-9 win over Lions seeking their second upset of the tournament.
The Rams jumped out to a 7-1 lead through the first two innings before Langston rallied over the next three innings, tying it up at 9-9 on a wild pitch that scored Jadyn Harper from third. Texas Wesleyan answered back in its half of the fifth with the game-winning run scored by Kadynce Crenshaw, scoring on Payton Blanco’s sac fly to center to give the Rams the lead for good.
Blanco led the TXWES batting efforts, going 3-for-3 with a homer, five RBIs, and a run, while Hayley Delarosa also mashed, slashing 4-for-4 while finishing just a homer from the cycle with a double, a triple, two RBIs, and three runs scored. Kylie Barnes got the win in the circle, allowing only two earned runs on seven hits with no walks and five strikeouts.
Meilani Butts led Langston at the dish, batting 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles, an RBI, and two runs, while Lilly Ritter suffered the loss after allowing one earned run on two hits, no walks, and a punchout over 3.2 innings of relief.
Science & Arts 4, Southwestern Christian 0
Science & Arts punched its ticket to the championship game by once again riding the red-hot arm of Aubree Ferguson. The sophomore ace tossed her fourth consecutive complete game shutout, allowing only three hits and two walks to go with seven strikeouts over seven innings.
The Drovers got on the board early, pushing across a pair of runs in the bottom of the first on a Leighanne Eaton RBI single before perfectly executing a double steal of second and home with Malea McMurtrey scoring to make it a 2-0 USAO advantage. The Drovers added one more on a Jordan Ramsey RBI single in the second and a Lexie Lovelace RBI base knock in the fifth to secure the 4-0 victory.
Eaton and Lovelace led the Drover bats by each slashing 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Maveryck Lightfoot added a 2-for-3 day from the plate as well.
Alexis Underwood paced the Eagles, hitting 1-for-2, while Ebony Garza and Kylee Coy each batted 1-for-3. Macey Weger went the distance for SCU, allowing four runs, two earned, on nine hits with a walk and a pair of strikeouts over her six-inning outing.
Oklahoma City 7, Texas Wesleyan 6
Oklahoma City’s ticket to the title tilt was tightly contested as Texas Wesleyan managed to tie it at 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth before the Stars utilized a four-run frame to gain some breathing room in the top of the fifth.
The Rams answered back with three runs in their half of the fifth to pull it to within a run. Tara Hoehner’s RBI double to left-center in the top of the sixth ended up being the difference-maker as TXWES answered back with a Haylie Delarosa RBI single to center to pull it back to within a run at 7-6.
Even though Texas Wesleyan managed to put the tying run on with an out in the bottom of the seventh, the Stars ended the game in style, turning a 1-6-3 double play to seal the victory.
Gabby Moreno led OCU’s offensive efforts, finishing just a homer shy of the cycle by batting 3-for-3 with a double, a triple, two runs scored, and an RBI. McKenna Snyder got the win in the circle, allowing five runs, four earned, on seven hits with a pair of strikeouts, while Morgandee Sawatzky notched the two-inning save by giving up one run on three hits with a walk.
Kylie Barnes drove in three on her 1-for-3 day at the dish while Delarosa, Payton Blanco, EB Zimmerman, and Kadynce Crenshaw each tallied a pair of hits. Barnes suffered the loss in the circle, allowing six runs, five earned, on six hits with four walks and a pair of punchouts.
The championship game will take place on Saturday evening with the first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m.