OCU Sports
Douglas Waters, Assistant Sports Information Director
CHICKASHA – Oklahoma City University softball coach Phil McSpadden won his 1,600th career game after a doubleheader sweep of USAO 3-1, 7-1 Tuesday at Bill Smith Ballpark.
McSpadden, now in his 30th year at OCU, moved his career record to 1,600-367 while Oklahoma City, ranked No. 1 in the NAIA, moved to 55-1, 26-0 in Sooner Athletic Conference play.
With the win, McSpadden, became the first softball coach at a four-year institution to garner 1,600 wins. In college softball, only Mike Candrea can claim more victories than McSpadden. Candrea has 1,625 college softball wins – 1,440 at Arizona and 185 on the junior-college level at Central Arizona.
McSpadden already holds a spot in the NAIA Hall of Fame, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma City University Athletics Hall of Fame. He has led the Stars to national titles in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2007 and 2016.
Last season, McSpadden was named NAIA softball coach of the year for the ninth time, NFCA NAIA Southwest Region coaching staff of the year for the sixth time in eight years plus NFCA NAIA coaching staff of the year for fifth time.
“I’m a lucky guy,” McSpadden said. “I work at a university that has always cared about athletics and academics. When I’m out recruiting [OCU] is such an easy sell. Our success over the years is a tribute to the fact that I can sell what this university offers. I love these kids and I like to believe on certain days they love me.”
In game one, OCU fell behind early as USAO (32-15, 17-7 SAC) plated a run in the bottom half of the first.
The score remained 1-0 until the fourth inning when the Stars took the lead on RBI singles from Samantha Stallbaumer and Kali Pugh.
Oklahoma City tacked on an insurance run in the seventh inning when Pugh lifted a solo shot of the season over the wall.
Pugh, a senior from Vista, Calif., finished the game 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scores.
Georgia Wall picked up the win for the Stars, pitching seven innings, allowing only five hits, one runs and striking out two. She moved to 23-0 on the season.
OCU grabbed a lead in game two with three runs in the top of the third.
Pugh, the reigning NAIA player of the week, got the scoring starting with a two-run homer. She is now tied for the NAIA lead with 20 home runs this season.
The Lady Drovers, ranked No. 23 in the NAIA, answered with a run in the bottom half, but were unable to add any more as Abby Meador came in with the bases loaded and got a strikeout and a groundout to escape further damage.
Oklahoma City broke the game open with four runs in the seventh inning thanks to RBI singles from Jaci Smith, Amanda Ingram and Meador.
Ingram, a senior from Oklahoma City, and Meador, a junior from Midwest City, both recorded multiple hits and an RBI in game two.
Meador picked up the win in relief after throwing 4.2 innings, allowing two hits, no runs and striking out six.
The Stars look to finish the season undefeated against NAIA competition Thursday in Oklahoma City against Mid-America Christian with a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.