#2 Softball 5/4/2012 11:44:00 PM

Stars advance to SAC Tournament championship game

OCU bested Oklahoma Baptist, Oklahoma Christian and Southern Nazarene to imporve to 39-17

Lily LaVelle tallied 40 strikeouts in 23.2 innings of work in the SAC Tournament Friday.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Top-seeded Oklahoma City University picked up wins over Oklahoma Baptist, Oklahoma Christian and Southern Nazarene and advanced to the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament championship Friday at Hall of Fame Stadium.
The Stars, ranked third in NAIA softball, knocked off Oklahoma Baptist 4-2, Oklahoma Christian 6-5 and Southern Nazarene 2-0 in extra innings to improve to 39-17 on the season. Senior pitcher Lily LaVelle threw 384 pitches and struck out 40 batters in the three games.
Oklahoma Baptist took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning, but the Stars battled back and scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth. Magean De La Torre and Jamie Rateliff came through with back-to-back RBI singles to tie the game at 2-2.
De La Torre scored on an Oklahoma Baptist error and Danielle Fox followed with an RBI double to right-center field to give OCU the 4-2 lead.
LaVelle allowed three hits and struck out 12 to pick up the win and move to 34-2. De La Torre, Fox and Rateliff each drove in a run to lead the Stars at the plate.
OCU grabbed a first-inning lead against Oklahoma Christian when De La Torre singled to center to drive in LeeAnn Lopez and make the score 1-0.
LaVelle and Lopez slugged back-to-back home runs in the top of the fifth to give OCU a 3-0 lead.
Lopez added a bases-clearing doubled to center in the top of the seventh to push the Stars' lead to 6-0.
Oklahoma Christian responded with five runs in the bottom of the inning before Michelle Miller grounded out to second for the finial out to give OCU the 6-5 victory.
Lavelle pitched 6.2 innings with 15 strikeouts to pick up the win and move to 35-2. Lopez went 4-for-4 with four RBIs and a home run to lead the Stars at the dish.
The nightcap proved to be a pitchers' duel as OCU and Southern Nazarene were unable to get going offensively.
In the bottom of the seventh, Southern Nazarene's Jill Clemence belted a two-out triple to left center to give the Crimson Storm a chance for the win. Clemence was later thrown out at home trying to advance on a wild pitch. Kylee Rounsaville corralled the loose ball and tossed to LaVelle who covered the plate and applied the tag for the final out of the inning.
In the top of the eighth, Rounsaville singled through the left side of the infield to drive in a pair of runs and make the score 2-0 in favor of OCU.
LaVelle retired the Southern Nazarene side in order in the bottom the eighth to give the Stars their third win of the day.
The right-hander from Bridge Creek, Okla., tossed eight scoreless innings and struck out 13 to snag the win and move to 36-2. Rounsaville drove in both OCU runs and went 2-for-4 at the plate.
The Stars will move on to the SAC Tournament title game at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Hall of Fame Stadium and will await Lubbock Christian (Texas), Oklahoma Christian or Southern Nazarene.
OCU-OBU
OCU-OC
OCU-SNU

Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament
At Oklahoma City
Hall of Fame Stadium
Friday's Results
Oklahoma City 4, Oklahoma Baptist 2
Oklahoma Christian 10, St. Gregory's 9, 8 inn.
Southern Nazarene 9, USAO 1
Lubbock Christian 1, Rogers State 0
St. Gregory's 1, Oklahoma Baptist 0, OBU eliminated
USAO 2, Rogers State 1, 8 inn., RSU eliminated
Oklahoma City 6, Oklahoma Christian 5
Southern Nazarene 10, Lubbock Christian 3
Oklahoma Christian 4, USAO 2, 8 inn., USAO eliminated
Lubbock Christian 5, St. Gregory's 3, SGU eliminated
Oklahoma City 2, Southern Nazarene 0, 8 inn.
Saturday's Games
Game 12: Lubbock Christian vs. Oklahoma Christian, 11 a.m., Stadium Field
Game 13: Southern Nazarene vs. Winner Game 12, 1 p.m., Field 4
Game 14: Oklahoma City vs. Winner Game 13, 5:30 p.m., championship, Stadium Field
Game 15: If necessary, 7:30 p.m., Stadium Field

2012 SAC Softball Tournament Gallery

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