UCO Sports
Chris Brannick, Director of Sports Media Relations
EDMOND – The University of Central Oklahoma opened a three-game Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association series against fifth-ranked Emporia State with a 9-6 win Thursday at Wendell Simmons Field.
Central (19-10-1, 9-9) jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, recovered from a 5-2 deficit, and closed out its second win against a top-five team this season.
“That was a really good win today,” UCO head coach John Martin said. “Emporia is a very good team and very hard to beat. Hopefully, us beating them will help our guys realize just what they are capable of.”
J.D. Cameron got the win on the day for the Bronchos after coming on in relief for starter Zayne Dougan. Cameron threw six innings for the Bronchos, striking out three while allowing just two hits. He also kept Emporia from scoring.
“J.D. gave us some very strong innings,” Martin said. “We use a lot of different guys and when one of them can step up and give us six good innings like he did today, that puts us in a good spot.”
Dougan threw one inning and gave up five earned runs. Cameron replaced him in the top of the second.
Greg Hyde threw one inning and did allow one run on two hits, but he got the Bronchos from Cameron to closer Gibson Russ. Russ came on in the ninth and recorded two strikeouts and a pop-fly to earn his seventh save of the season.
Central Oklahoma scattered 17 hits on the day Thursday. Korey Floyd and Anthony Alvarez led the way with three each. Five other Bronchos had two hits in the game. Jon Kamies, Trae Smith, and Kyle Miskovsky each added two RBIs as well for Central.
The Bronchos jumped out to an early first inning lead after Jake Dyer led the game off with a double over the centerfielder’s head. Floyd then singled up the middle to move Dyer to third, and Kamies picked up his first RBI with a groundout on the next play, that moved slow enough down the first base line to score Dyer.
Alvarez then doubled with a shot just over the right fielder’s head to score Floyd and make it 2-0 Central Oklahoma.
Emporia State responded however, scored five in the top of the second. The Bronchos then answered that with three more in the bottom half of the inning to knot it at five-all.
T.J. Sparr doubled to lead off the inning. After a Chris Lobato sacrifice bunt that moved Sparr to third, Justin Brown singled back to the pitcher and Sparr scored.
Dyer then singled, as did Floyd, to load the bases. After Kamies popped out, Smith stepped up and readied himself for a big shot. He got it on an 0-1 pitch, slapping the ball up the middle of the infield scoring Brown and Dyer.
In the bottom of the fifth, Kamies led off with another pop-fly, then Smith singled to put one with one out. Alvarez also singled and Smith made it over to third, then Miskovsky’s single scored Smith to give Central the 6-5 lead. Alvarez moved to third on the play.
After a pitching change, Miskovsky broke for second and Emporia tried to throw him out. Miskovsky beat the tag as Alvarez took off for home. A throw was not made to get Alvarez out and the Bronchos took a 7-5 lead.
Kamies and Miskovsky each netted RBI singles in the bottom of the sixth to score Dyer and Floyd respectively, and gave Central a 9-5 lead. Emporia State scored its only other run in the top of the eighth.
The Bronchos are scheduled to play Emporia State at 3 p.m. Friday in the second game of the MIAA series. The finale is slated for 1 p.m. Saturday. The series was moved up one day due to expected rainfall this weekend in Edmond.
