Seniors Celebrate Victory

April 26, 2007

WEATHERFORD, Okla. —Southwestern Oklahoma State University gave four seniors pleasant memories of their final home softball game beating nationally-ranked Midwestern State University, 4-2, in the first game of a doubleheader Thursday in Weatherford. MSU came back and was a 5-0 winner in the second game to salvage a split on the day.

SWOSU’s record is now 17-24 overall and 7-15 in the Lone Star Conference North Division. MSU, the nation’s 15th ranked NCAA Division II softball team, moved to 37-14 on the year and kept its slim lead in the North division standings with a 16-6 mark. SWOSU will conclude the season Saturday with two games against MSU in Wichita Falls, Texas.

The day marked the final home game for graduating players Sarah Cunningham, Alli Flaman, April Nash and Jennifer Buccola. All four were recognized in a special ceremony before the first game.

SWOSU finally solved MSU pitcher Katie Peterson in the fourth when scoring three runs off the Mustangs’ hard thrower. Flaman led off with a double and then scored on a RBI single by Erin Hutton. Buccola then followed with an RBI single and another run scored thanks to an error giving the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead.

Hutton then collected her second hit of the day in the fifth, another RBI single that put SWOSU ahead 4-1.

Flaman was credited with the win on the mound as she scattered eight hits over seven innings and allowed just two runs. She struck out five and walked none to improve her record to 7-14 on the year.

In the second game, the Mustangs scored runs in each of the first four innings to build a 5-0 lead. SWOSU managed just eight hits and were unable to get more than runner as far as third base.