EDMOND, OK- The Cougars closed their series at Central Oklahoma with a single game on Saturday morning in Edmond. It was a back and forth affair throughout as CCU led three different times in the game, but a three-run ninth from the Bronchos saw them walk it off by a final of 12-11.

Gavin Acosta led off the game with a single, and after he stole second, Acosta scored on an RBI single from William Brassil. Major Maydon notched his team high 14th RBI with a double down the left field line to plate Brassil and put his team up 2-0 after one. After a scoreless second inning, the long ball helped CCU jump ahead by five. 

Brassil stepped up with two outs and launched a solo homer down the right field line to get the scoring going in the third. Maydon then singled to set up Zach Valentine for a huge two-run bomb to right center to put CCU ahead 5-0. A pair of Bronchos runs in the third trimmed the lead to three as the teams battled for control. 

After a scoreless fourth and fifth for the Cougars, a three-run homer from UCO leveled the game at 5-5 in the bottom of the fifth. Tanner Rae put the visitors back on top with an RBI bunt that plated Lukas Hinze to make it 6-5, but the hosts tied it up in their half of the sixth as the score stood at 6-6 with three innings to play. 

A three-run seventh put the Bronchos ahead 9-6, but the Cougars had an explosive response. After loading the bases up, Gregory Rangel singled home two runs to make it a 9-8 game. Brassil induced a bases loaded walk to tie the game, and immediately after that Maydon singled home two runs as CCU suddenly roared ahead 11-9. After UCO did not score in the bottom of the 8th and CCU did not plate any runs in the top of the 9th, the Bronchos had one last chance to tie the game or claim the win via a walkoff. A pair of walks and a hit by pitch loaded up the bases for UCO, and a bases clearing triple gave the home team a walkoff 12-11 victory. 

Saxton Sorenson was solid on the mound as the starter, going a full five innings with 5 strikeouts. Matthew Morben, Jack Cazin and Sawyer Shepherd all saw action on the monad as well, combining for 3.2 innings of work. Brassil and Maydon led the offense with 3 RBI apiece while Valentine and Rangel each notched 2 RBI. 

The Cougars will be back in Oklahoma for their final series before conference play as they take on Rogers State beginning February 21 with first pitch slated for 1 p.m. MST.