#3 USAO Sweeps Double-Header Against Cottey College

CHICKASHA, Okla. – Friday evening, the No. 3 ranked University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (4-3, 0-0 SAC) hosted their 2023 home-opener and collected a double-header sweep against Cottey College (5-4, 0-0 AMC). The Drovers opened the evening with a 7-0 victory in game one, followed by an 8-2 triumph in the finale.

-GAME 1-

Despite the Drovers winning by a wide margin, the contest was much closer than the score reflects. USAO scored all seven of their runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to cruise to victory.

Sophie Williams was superb in the circle as she improved her record to 1-1. The 2022 All-American delivered 7.0 scoreless innings, allowing only three hits as she struck out six.

Offensively, the Drovers compiled nine hits, coming from six different players.

Slater Eck, Jaclyn Gray, and Jadyn Goucher each recorded a pair of hits in the win. Eck finished 2-4 with a stolen base and a run scored. Gray concluded 2-2 with a pair of singles, and Goucher went 2-3 with a run scored and a run batted in. 

Sierra Selfridge contributed a 1-3 performance that included a double, a run scored, and a pair of runs batted in. Macenzie Ruth went 1-3 with a walk, a run scored, and a run batted in, while Tyler Trott went 1-3 with a run batted in.

-GAME 2-

Cottey College came out seeking revenge in game two, striking for a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. However, those would be the only two runs that the Comets would amount in the finale.

USAO scored their first run of the game in the bottom of the first inning on Malea McMurtrey's RBI-single. 

The deficit remained 2-1 until the bottom of the third inning, when the Drovers managed to bring across four runs to take a 5-2 lead. Science & Arts scored their final three insurance runs in the bottom of the fourth to put the game out of reach for the Comets.

Abi Gregory was terrific in the circle, as she improved her record to 3-1 this season. Gregory went all 7.0 innings, allowing just one earned on five hits, and she struck out 11 batters. 

As a team, Science & Arts produced 14 hits on offense, being led by four multi-hit performances. 

Kylie Milanic led the way, going 3-4 with a double, a run scored, and a run batted in, followed by Sierra Selfridge went 2-4 with a pair of doubles, a run scored, and two RBI's. Slater Eck concluded 2-4 with a stolen base and a run scored, while Malea McMurtrey went 2-2 with a walk, a run scored, and a run batted in. 

Tyler Trott blasted a two-run homerun as she finished 1-4, and Jadyn Goucher concluded 1-3 with a triple, two runs scored, and a run batted in.

Macenzie Ruth closed 1-3 with a stolen base and a run scored. Jaclyn Gray went 1-3 with a double and a run batted in. Madelyn Blair concluded 1-3 with a single. 

WHAT'S NEXT?

On Saturday, Feb. 18, the Drovers will be back in action at Bill Smith Ballpark as they host a showdown with Missouri Baptist University at 3:00 PM.

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