Courtesy of Midland Athletics
OKLAHOMA CITY – It was a matchup of day-one winners on Tuesday afternoon as (RV) Midland University took on No. 5-ranked Oklahoma City University. The Warriors struck first with a 4th-inning home run before the Stars responded in their half. In the final inning, Midland took advantage of a wild pitch with two outs to edge host-school OCU, 2-1, and advance into tomorrow’s bracket championship.
Aliyah Rincon of Midland and Shelbey Cornelson of OCU went back and forth, commanding the strike zone and limiting base runners. Through the first three innings, OCU’s ace had a pair of strikeouts and had only allowed a pair of runners. Rincon had just one strikeout while not allowing anyone on the bases.
In the top of the 4th, Carly Pfitzer worked a 3-0 count to start the inning. With a strike likely coming down the heart of the plate, she turned on the offering and deposited it over the right field fence to break open the scoring. The home run, her 16th of the year, ties the Midland single-season record held by Traci Bode and Janelle Sager who both reached that mark in the 2004 season.
The Stars responded in their next at-bat as they hit a one-out double to the gap in right center, and then hit another double with two outs to knot the score at 1-1.
Midland got a lead-off single from Emily Prai to start the sixth but was unable to manifest it into a run. Prai stole second with two outs but was left stranded. A pair of flyouts by OCU and a strikeout kept the game even heading into the 7th inning.
With the second half of the lineup due up, Keira Painter worked a lead-off walk to start the top half. Rincon put down a sacrifice bunt to advance her to second, and then Alexis Pagehit a grounder up the middle. The shortstop moved to her left and got the out but the play put the winning run at third.
As the OCU pitcher eclipsed the 100-pitch mark with Mia Orduna at the plate, pitch number 102 sailed up above the glove of the catcher. Painter sprinter her way to the plate and got under the tag applied by the Stars that was just a bit tardy. That gave Midland the 2-1 lead. OCU limited the damage to just one run as they got the third out shortly after.
During the bottom of the 7th, Rincon struck out OCU’s three-hole hitter to start the inning. A pop-out to shortstop for out number two put the Warriors one out away from advancing to Wednesday’s bracket championship.
With the Stars down to their final out, Rincon got in front in the count early. After back-to-back foul tips, the final out was recorded by Painter in right field on a deep flyball.
Statistical Standouts
- Carly Pfitzer: 1-for-3, R, RBI, HR
- Keira Painter: 1-for-2, R, BB
- Aliyah Rincon: 7.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 4 K
Midland (38-12) will now await the winner from the elimination side of the bracket being played later tonight. OCU will face the winner of the Mount Mercy versus Texas A&M-San Antonio game with the last team remaining advancing to take on the Warriors. That game will start at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday with an if-needed game two following. Midland is one win away from reaching the NAIA World Series for the first time since 2011.
