Softball 5/23/2014 3:48:00 PM

OCU rolls to 15-2 win over Simpson

Stars take on second-ranked LSU-Alexandria at 6 p.m. Oklahoma time Saturday

Shelbi Legg chipped in two hits and two runs scored Friday.

Box Score
COLUMBUS, Ga. - Oklahoma City University opened play in the NAIA Softball World Series with a 15-2 romp past Simpson (Calif.) on Friday at the South Commons Complex.
Jocelin Diaz pounded a grand slam, while Jamie Rateliff and Kylee Rounsaville also nailed home runs for 16th-ranked Oklahoma City. The Stars (53-11) advanced to a 7 p.m. EDT (6 p.m. CDT) game Saturday vs. second-ranked LSU-Alexandria.
OCU plated 15 or more runs for the seventh time and reached double digits in hits for the 31st game this season. The Stars improved to 9-5 vs. ranked teams this year with the victory over 17th-ranked Simpson (39-8).
Simpson knocked out defending national champion Concordia (Calif.) in winning the NAIA Championship Opening Round Concordia Bracket. OCU eliminated 2013 runner-up Spring Hill in the Opening Round by capturing the Oklahoma City Bracket on May 14.
"They are a much better ball club then they showed," Oklahoma City coach Phil McSpadden said of Simpson. "We had some good things happen early, and it kind of snowballed from there."
OCU struck for three runs in the first inning, building a 3-0 lead on Danielle Fox's sacrifice fly to right field. Kyndra Holasek scored the first run on Simpson third baseman Noel Montes' misplayed groundball. Rateliff drew a bases-loaded walk for the other run.
In the second, Holasek doubled off the base of the fence in deep center to drive home Shelbi Legg, who reached on an error. Jocelin Diaz put the Stars ahead 5-0 as she socked an RBI single to center. Rateliff crushed her seventh homer of the year over the center-field fence for a 6-0 third-inning OCU advantage.
In the fourth, Rounsaville swatted a two-run blast beyond the center-field fence for an 8-2 Stars lead.
The Stars blew open the game with a six-run sixth. Maxime van Dalen and Holasek knocked in runs with base hits. Holasek's single loaded the bases before Diaz hammered a grand slam to left for her 10th homer of 2014.
"She's a difference maker," McSpadden said of Diaz. "We have two or three players on this team that we count on. It's tough for us to win if they're not leading us, and she's one of them."
Fox benefited from OCU's run support to improve to 21-3 on the year. Fox, a senior from Yukon, Okla., struck out five in 4.2 innings, retiring the side in order in the first and fourth innings. Maci-Brooke Lambert pitched the final 1.1 innings for the Stars.
Diaz, a junior from Maracay, Venezuela, went 3-for-4, scored four runs and drove in five, while Holasek, a sophomore from Mustang, Okla., was 2-for-2 with three runs scored, a stolen base and two RBIs for OCU.
Rateliff, a junior from Mustang, Okla., went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs, and Legg, a sophomore from Mustang, Okla., went 2-for-4 and scored twice. Van Dalen, a freshman from Heerhugowaard, Netherlands, was 2-for-4 with a double and a run driven in.

NAIA Softball World Series
At Columbus, Ga.
South Commons Complex
All Times EDT
Friday's Results
Game 1: Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 1, College of Idaho 0, 9 inn.
Game 2: Oklahoma City 15, Simpson (Calif.) 2
Game 3: Reinhardt (Ga.)6, St. Gregory's 0
Game 4: William Carey (Miss.) 2, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 0
Saturday's Games
Game 5: Simpson vs. St. Gregory's, 10 a.m.
Game 6: College of Idaho vs. Olivet Nazarene, 1 p.m.
Game 7: Auburn-Montgomery (Ala.) vs. Lindsey Wilson, 4 p.m.
Game 8: LSU-Alexandria vs. Oklahoma City, 7 p.m.
Monday's Games
Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs. Loser Game 7, 10 a.m.
Game 10: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 8, 1 p.m.
Game 11:Reinhardt vs. Winner Game 8, 4 p.m.
Game 12:William Careyvs. Winner Game 7, 7 p.m.
Tuesday's Games
Game 13: Winner Game 9 vs. Loser Game 11, 1 p.m.
Game 14: Winner 10 vs. Loser Game 12, 4 p.m.
Game 15: Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12, 7 p.m.
Wednesday's Games
Game 16: Winner Game 13 vs. Winner Game 14, 4 p.m.
Game 17: Winner Game 16 vs. Loser Game 15, 7 p.m.
Thursday, May 29
Game 18: Winner Game 15 vs. Winner Game 17, 5 p.m.
Game 19: If necessary, 30 minutes following Game 18

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Players Mentioned

#16 Danielle Fox: P/OF; 5' 6"; Senior; R/R

#2 Kyndra Holasek: INF; 5' 7"; Sophomore; L/R

#8 Shelbi Legg: OF; 5' 5"; Sophomore; L/R

#4 Jamie Rateliff: P/OF; 5' 7"; Junior; R/R

#14 Kylee Rounsaville: C; 5' 7"; Junior; R/R

#18 Maci-Brooke Lambert: P; 5' 9"; Junior; R/R

#3 Jocelin Diaz: INF; 5' 1"; Junior; S/R

#7 Maxime van Dalen: INF; 5' 9"; Freshman; L/L

Players Mentioned

#16 Danielle Fox
: 5' 6"; Senior; R/R
: P/OF

#2 Kyndra Holasek
: 5' 7"; Sophomore; L/R
: INF

#8 Shelbi Legg
: 5' 5"; Sophomore; L/R
: OF

#4 Jamie Rateliff
: 5' 7"; Junior; R/R
: P/OF

#14 Kylee Rounsaville
: 5' 7"; Junior; R/R
: C

#18 Maci-Brooke Lambert
: 5' 9"; Junior; R/R
: P

#3 Jocelin Diaz
: 5' 1"; Junior; S/R
: INF

#7 Maxime van Dalen
: 5' 9"; Freshman; L/L
: INF