OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University advanced to the Sooner Athletic Conference softball tournament championship game with a 2-1 victory over Lubbock Christian (Texas) on Friday at Hall of Fame Stadium.
The Stars, ranked 11th in the NAIA, posted two other wins Friday – 9-5 over Rogers State and 3-1 over 25th-ranked Oklahoma Baptist. OCU (43-11) will play in the SAC Tournament title tilt 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Hall of Fame Stadium.
Sixth-ranked Lubbock Christian will play an elimination game 1 p.m. Saturday against the winner of an 11 a.m. contest between Oklahoma Christian and Southern Nazarene. The winner of the 1 p.m. game advances to the championship contest.
Lily LaVelle, a junior from Bridge Creek, Okla., notched wins in all three of the Stars' tournament victories Friday. She nailed two home runs in OCU's win over Rogers State.
LaVelle started OCU's day with a solo shot over the center-field fence leading off the game vs. Rogers State. Shari Misuraca added a two-run homer to right field in the second inning, then LaVelle made it back-to-back homers with a solo blast of her own for a 4-0 OCU lead.
LeeAnn Lopez put OCU ahead 5-2 with an RBI single in the third. Angelina Vines tied the game 5-5 in the fifth by scoring on a passed ball.
Tori Joyner reached base on a hit by pitch with the bases loaded to put OCU ahead 6-5 in the sixth. Misuraca scored on a wild pitch, then Brittany Caruthers added a sacrifice fly. Magean De Le Torre scored on a balk in the seventh for OCU.
LaVelle allowed one hit and struck out three in the final three innings to get the win. LaVelle went 2-for-4, scored three times and drove in two runs. De La Torre, a sophomore from Plano, Texas, was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while Misuraca, a sophomore from Oklahoma City, went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs.
Against Oklahoma Baptist, OCU erased a 1-0 deficit with two runs in the second. De La Torre bunted and got on base on an error, while Lopez scored on the play. De La Torre scored the go-ahead run on Chelsey Eddy's groundout. Lopez scored again in the seventh when Kylee Rounsaville hit into an error in the seventh.
Lopez, a sophomore from Grand Prairie, Texas, went 2-for-3 and scored two runs. De La Torre went 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI.
LaVelle fanned nine and allowed one run on two hits while recording the victory.
Against Lubbock Christian, LaVelle started the game by striking out five batters en route to 13 Ks. LaVelle allowed one run on three hits in moving to 26-7.
OCU scored first when Kayla Van Dieran's relay throw after a flyout went wild to allow De La Torre to reach home in the second. Joyner scored the eventual winning run in the third on a squeeze bunt by Lopez.
Lubbock Christian's Cori Enriquez singled, while Priscilla Fagaines reached on a hit by pitch with one out in the fifth. LaVelle responded by fanning the next two batters to retire the side.
Joyner, a sophomore from Mustang, Okla., went 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Rounsaville, a freshman from Yukon, Okla., was 2-for-3.
OCU-RSU Boxscore
OCU-OBU Boxscore
OCU-LCU Boxscore
Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament
At Oklahoma City
Hall of Fame Stadium
Friday's Results
Southern Nazarene 4, Oklahoma Christian 0
Lubbock Christian 6, St. Gregory's 5
Oklahoma City 9, Rogers State 5
Oklahoma Baptist 7, USAO 4, 14 inn.
Lubbock Christian 8, Southern Nazarene 7
Oklahoma City 3, Oklahoma Baptist 1
Oklahoma Christian 12, St. Gregory's 4, SGU eliminated
Rogers State 2, USAO 1, 8 inn., USAO eliminated
Southern Nazarene 3, Rogers State 2, RSU eliminated
Oklahoma Christian 5, Oklahoma Baptist 2, 9 inn., OBU eliminated
Oklahoma City 2, Lubbock Christian 1
Saturday's Games
Game 12: Oklahoma Christian vs. Southern Nazarene, 11 a.m., stadium, loser eliminated
Game 13: Lubbock Christian vs. Winner 12, 1 p.m., field 4, loser eliminated
Game 14: Oklahoma City vs. Winner 13, 5:30 p.m., stadium, championship
Game 15: Game 14 winner vs. Game 14 loser, 7:30 p.m., stadium, if necessary
