EDMOND, Okla. – The No. 9-ranked University of Central Oklahoma Brochos were able to slip by the Northwest Missouri State University softball team in MIAA doubleheader action on Saturday at Gerry Pinkston Stadium.
 
UCO captured game one, 4-0, and then nabbed game two, 11-6. The Bronchos extended their winning streak to 19 straight games on the season while moving to 26-6 overall and 8-0 in MIAA play. Northwest dropped to 16-16 overall and 5-3 in MIAA play. Northwest is 6-6 on the road this season. UCO is 14-1 at home this year. UCO has scored 13 consecutive wins over Northwest and leads the all-time series, 25-4.
 
GAME ONE
The Bronchos out-hit the Bearcats, 6-4, and were able to tally a 4-0 victory.
 
Skylar Pieper registered Northwest's first hit of the game with a two-out single in the first. Alexis Brown had a leadoff single in the fourth for Northwest's second hit.
 
Abby Nolte tallied a two-out single in the fifth and Lela Bryant followed with a walk to give the Bearcats two runners on base for the first time on Saturday. Annie Gahan flied out to center to end the Bearcat scoring threat in the fifth.
 
Lillie Filger singled to lead off the sixth, but was erased on a groundball double play by Brown.
 
Breck Dickey did not allow a hit until the fourth inning. The Bronchos were able to mount a two-run rally in the third inning without the benefit of a hit but took advantage of three walks from Dickey.
 
UCO tacked on two runs in the sixth to extend the lead to 4-0.
 
Dickey (3-5) took the loss as she pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed four hits and four runs. Dickey struck out one and walked five. Cassidy Paulson was called on to get the final out in the sixth inning and keep the deficit at four runs.
 
GAME TWO
Central Oklahoma held off a Northwest comeback attempt in game two for an 11-6 victory.
 
Northwest struck first in the second game as the first two batters ignited the offense. Lillie Filger led off with a single to shortstop. Filger then sped around the bases when Alexis Brown ripped a triple to left-center to give Northwest a 1-0 advantage. Brown then flashed her speed on the base paths. Avery Mayberry popped out to shortstop, and Brown raced home as the UCO shortstop made the catch with her back to the infield. Brown's tally gave Northwest an early 2-0 lead.
 
UCO had its first three batters reach base off Bearcat starter Cassidy Paulson. Paulson was chased from the contest after facing only seven batters and retiring one Broncho. Paulson was tagged for six runs (five earned) on four hits and a walk.
 
After allowing six runs in the bottom half of the first, Northwest battled back to get two runs back in the top of the second. Filger came through with an RBI-single to shortstop that scored Gaige Pinkerton. Brown singled to the pitcher, which allowed Lela Bryant to cross the plate on a throwing error to cut the UCO lead to 6-4.
 
UCO put up an unearned run in the bottom of the second when Brown dropped a flyball in right field with two outs. UCO led 7-4 after two innings of action.
 
Northwest climbed closer in the fourth. Nolte led off with a walk. With two out, Filger singled through the left side to move Nolte up to second. Omara Love delivered a two-out, RBI-single to second base to score Nolte. Pieper drew a walk to load the bases. All three runners moved up a base and Filger scored on a wild pitch. Avery Mayberry coaxed a walk to reload the bases, only to have Sophie Mayhugh strikeout to end the inning with the Bearcats trailing by a single run, 7-6.
 
Moyer wriggled free from danger in the bottom of the fifth as she loaded the bases with one. But Moyer got a strikeout looking for the second out. Then Moyer battled back from a 3-0 count to induce a ground ball to shortstop for the force out at second to end the threat.
 
The Bearcats had the top of the order up in the top of the sixth, but went down quietly on five pitches to keep UCO in the lead at 7-6.
 
UCO extended its lead to 9-6 on a one-out, two-RBI double from Jacee Minter in the bottom of the sixth. Bearcat head coach Naomi Tellez called on Jadyn Streigle to relieve Moyer with one out in the sixth. UCO's Layne Smith added a two-out, two-run single to up the Broncho advantage to 11-6.
 
Moyer pitched five innings and allowed five hits. She gave up four runs (three earned) and struck out three Bronchos.
 
Filger went 3-for-4 and notched her 17th multi-hit game of the season and her 11th three-hit game of her career. Brown went 2-for-2 and recorded her 13th multi-hit contest this year.
 
Northwest will be at Washburn next Friday and at Emporia State next Saturday.