Softball Beats No. 3 Emporia State
March 5, 2007
MUSTANG, Okla. -- Southwestern Oklahoma State University’s new-look softball team had perhaps its finest moment with a stunning, 9-1 run-ruled victory over No. 3 Emporia State University Friday. The Emporia contest was one of four games the Bulldogs played over a three-day span at the University of Central Oklahoma Festival.
The Bulldogs beat Oklahoma Baptist 11-5 in the first game before later losing to Washburn (14-2) and the rematch with Emporia State on Sunday (12-3). The Bulldogs finished 2-2 on the tournament and kept their record at 8-8 through 16 games.
In the Emporia upset, SWOSU freshman Stacey Creger slammed two home runs and teammate Laci Keplinger added another as the Bulldogs crushed Emporia with their long-ball prowess.
Keplinger’s three-run homer in the first gave SWOSU a 3-0 lead. Creger then followed with a three-run blast of her own to put the Bulldogs ahead 8-0 after three innings.
Creger then homered in her next at bat and SWOSU took a 9-1 lead and forced the run rule after five innings of play.
Alli Flaman got the win on the mound. She allowed two hits through five innings and retired the first nine batters she faced.
In the opener against OBU, SWOSU took control of the game in the fourth inning after trailing 5-4. April Nash drove in a pair of runs with a double and later scored herself thanks to an RBI single by Creger. SWOSU got two homers, one by Creger and one by Flaman, as they peppered OBU pitching with 13 hits and 11 runs.
Alex Zukerman picked up the win in relief for SWOSU. She went six and one-third innings and allowed just two runs. She scattered six hits and struckout five batters to improve to 4-2 on the year.
Fortune was not as kind the following games as SWOSU lost 14-2 to Washburn. The Lady Blues beat SWOSU for the third time in as many tries.
In the final game against Emporia, SWOSU again started quickly taking a 3-2 lead on Flaman’s three-run homer in the first. It was her sixth of the year and put her one behind tying the all-time school record for home runs in a season with seven. That was all the offense that could be generated as the Bulldogs went quietly in the final four innings losing 12-3.
SWOSU opens Lone Star Conference division play Saturday at home against Central Oklahoma, the division’s pre-season favorites. Star time for the doubleheader is at 1 p.m.