MARYVILLE, Missouri - The No. 18-ranked University of Central Oklahoma Bronchos fended off the Northwest Missouri State University softball team in a doubleheader sweep at the Bearcat Softball Field.

The Bronchos took the opening game, 7-0, and rallied for an 8-5 triumph in nine innings in the second matchup. The Bronchos moved to 23-7 overall and 12-2 in MIAA action, while Northwest dropped to 9-13 overall and 3-7 in league play.

GAME ONE
UCO's Corrina Rivas pitched a four-hit shutout and stymied the Northwest bats in game one. Rivas struck out four in moving to 12-3 on the season.

Northwest threatened to score in the first when Olivia Daugherty and Kaitlyn Weis reached on back-to-back singles with two outs, but Abby Nolte flew out to right to end the inning.

It was a scoreless battle until UCO broke through in the top of the fifth on a sacrifice fly and then a three-run homer from Jacee Minter.

The Bronchos added three insurance runs in the seventh to take the contest, 7-0.

The Bearcats managed only one base runner in the final four innings of play.

GAME TWO
Northwest built a 5-0 lead in game two. However, Central Oklahoma rallied to tie it and then eventually won the game in nine innings.

Northwest's Kaitlyn Weis hit her 53rd career home run (10th of the season) with a two-run blast in the first to give the Bearcats a 2-0 advantage.

Sophomore Madison Friest blasted a solo homer, her second of the season, in the second to up Northwest's lead to 3-0.

Weis added to the Bearcat lead in the third with a one-out triple to right that scored Jacee Winn and Grace Jeffries. Weis's hit gave Northwest a 5-0 cushion.

The Bronchos took advantage of Bearcat miscues in the top of the fourth to knot the game at 5-5. Bearcat starter freshman Raven Defrain got a strikeout of UCO's Taylor McKittrick, but the third strike was dropped and McKittrick reached to keep the inning alive. UCO followed with four straight hits and a Bearcat error to even the contest.

Northwest loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, but a flyout and popout ended the scoring opportunity.

UCO plated three unearned runs in the top of the ninth as the Bearcats committed two errors. 

Northwest refused to go quietly in its half of the ninth as sophomore Hannah Blackford led off with a double and moved to third on a single from Winn. Winn moved up to second on a groundout from Olivia Daugherty. Weis came to the plate as the tying run. Weis lifted a high fly to right, but it was caught at the fence and UCO claimed the 8-5 extra-inning win.

Winn went 3-for-5 with a run scored. Weis went 2-for-5 with four RBI and a run scored. Blackford went 2-for-4. 

Weis pitched the final five innings and allowed five hits and three runs (all unearned).

NOTES: Saturday's doubleheader vs. Newman will begin at 2 p.m. with expected rain in the morning ... it was originally slated to begin at noon ... Weis has posted a team-best eight multi-hit games this season ... Weis has nine multi-RBI games ... Daugherty has reached base in eight consecutive games.