OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University outlasted Science & Arts 1-0 for the Sooner Athletic Conference softball tournament championship Sunday at Ann Lacy Stadium.
Kennedy Jackson delivered an RBI double for the only run of the contest featuring two teams ranked among the top five in the NAIA. Second-ranked Oklahoma City (47-6) captured its 20th SAC Tournament title.
Jackson pounded a double into left-center field with two out in the third inning. OCU's Mallory McCoy led off the inning reaching base on a hit by pitch, then advanced to second on a wild pitch. McCoy scored on Jackson's double.
Shelbey Cornelson and Science & Arts' Emily Cerny engaged in a pitchers' duel. Cornelson, a junior from Tuttle, Okla., permitted two hits while striking out seven in a seven-inning complete-game effort.
"It was definitely a team win as there were crucial contributions made by everyone either offensively, defensively or both," OCU coach Phil McSpadden said. "Bobbi Bridges called a good game, Shelbey threw a great game, and it took every bit of that to beat USAO and Emily Cerny."
Cornelson (30-3) gave up Sierra Selfridge's double in the second and a base hit by Mackenzie Ruth in the sixth. Selfridge was the only Drover to reach scoring position on the day. Cornelson got the strikeout to strand Selfridge on third base. Cornelson retired 12 batters in a row starting with that strikeout until Ruth's sixth-inning hit.
Cerny, a senior from Newcastle, Okla., limited the Stars to a run on three hits while fanning seven. Cerny, the NAIA's career leader in wins, had a no-hitter through 2.2 innings until Jackson's hit. McCoy made it to second base in the fifth to account for the other runner OCU put in scoring position Sunday. Cerny (28-3) set down seven Stars in order from the fifth to the seventh.
Both OCU and No. 5 Science & Arts (47-8) host tournaments in the NAIA Championship Opening Round on May 16-18 with berths in the NAIA Softball World Series at stake. The NAIA unveils the pairings and field for the Opening Round at 4 p.m. CST Tuesday with a selection show broadcast over the NAIA Facebook page. The NAIA Softball World Series runs May 26-June 1 at South Commons Softball Complex in Columbus, Ga.
