Big-time team effort lifts Mustangs to sweep of Central Oklahoma
WICHITA FALLS, Texas - Brittany Willson embodied the spirit of the 2006 Midwestern State softball Saturday night at the Sunrise Optimist Complex.
Willson went the distance on both ends of a doubleheader sweep over
"We've kind of struggled as of late," MSU coach Brady Tigert said. "To put together two wins against a good team really shows what this team has done all year."
Willson got plenty of help from her teammates as Kelli Shaw made spectacular plays from her shortstop position and center fielder Stephanie Wardlaw made a sliding catch to take away another hit from the Bronchos.
"They really stepped it up to close out the season," Tigert said. "Our defense was excellent and everybody played great. It was an overall team effort."
The No. 9-ranked Mustangs (41-12, 18-6) earned the No. 1 seed in the Lone Star Conference postseason to be held next weekend at Southwest Park in Irving. They will face the winner of the Texas Woman's/ Central Oklahoma matchup Friday morning at 11.
Shaw also provided MSU with all the scoring punch it would need when she laced a two-run single into left field to score Wardlaw and Jessica Rodriguez to give Willson a 2-0 lead.
Willson made the lead stand by limiting the Bronchos to five hits while striking out four and walking one. The senior right-hander claimed her 800 th career strike out when she fanned UCO's Rachel Smith to lead off the fifth inning.
" Brittany came up great. She's been the backbone of our team for three years," Tigert said. "She really showed what she's about tonight."
Willson was just as gritty in the nightcap as she allowed six hits, struck out six and walked two to improve to 26-8 on the season. She now has 90 career wins and needs one more win to tie Texas A&M-Kingsville's Maria Guitierrez.
The Mustangs kept the pressure on the UCO defense in Game 2 and took advantage of two critical Central Oklahoma errors to scratch out three runs in the fourth and tack on another in the fifth.
Sarah Huddleston lined a two-out single to left field to plate Rachel Jackson from second before UCO left fielder Christin Dobbs overran the ball allowing Shaw to score from first base and Huddleston to advance to third base.
Huddleston later scored on a passed ball to give MSU a 3-1 lead at the end of four innings.
The Mustangs added an unearned run in the fifth when Kristen Stonecipher scored on UCO shortstop Stacey Walden's throwing error to second while to cut down Stonecipher allowing Jessica Rodriguez to reach on a fielder's choice.
The Bronchos (24-13, 17-7) managed single runs in the fourth and fifth innings, but it wasn't enough to curve their late season slide. The Bronchos have now lost seven of eight games and will head into the LSC tournament as the North division's third seed.
"To take two wins away from the good team with their backs against the wall speaks volumes about the kids we have," Tigert said.
The Mustangs finish in a first-place tie with Southeastern Oklahoma (38-10, 18-6), but earn the No. 1 seed on the strength of a 3-1 series win over UCO. The Bronchos swept SOSU, while the Savage Storm split with MSU.
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