This past weekend, #8 USAO (18-6, 8-0 SAC) took on a conference opponent in Central Christian College (CCC) (7-17, 3-9 SAC). After the fourth game concluded, the Drovers have an all-time record of 20-0 against the Tigers.

The first game on Friday started slowly. There would not be a run on the board until the bottom of the third inning, when Macenzie Ruth scored off an error to give the Drovers the 1-0 lead. The first score opened the door for USAO, as they would score two more times in the bottom of the third inning while CCC struggled to get on the board, but CCC’s plight would not end there. The Tigers would not find themselves on the board all game as the Drovers won game one with a final of 8-0. Ruth, Jaclyn Gray, Jadyn Goucher, and Sierra Selfridge all had multiple hit performances.

The second game on Friday’s slate has a similar ending. Once again, neither team scored until the bottom of the third inning. The first score of the inning came from an error by CCC’s pitcher that led to Ruth getting to second base, and two runs followed from Sophie Williams and Jaylee Willis. The Drovers would extend their lead to five as Ruth, Goucher, and Skyler Smith would all score to bring the score to 5-0, with all five runs coming in the bottom of the third. The fourth inning was quiet for both teams as no runs were scored. CCC tried to rally with two runs in the fifth, but it wasn’t enough, as a homerun from Goucher sealed the deal. USAO won game two 6-2, and turned their energy to the two remaining games Saturday afternoon.

With the series halfway over and the Drovers up 2-0 on CCC, Saturday’s first game didn’t take long for things to get going. USAO scored first with a single from Willis that led to the first run of the day by Selfridge in the bottom of the second. USAO extended their lead in the bottom of the third inning, where they scored three runs to bring the score to 4-0. The first game on Saturday was all USAO, and there wasn’t any breathing room for CCC as they ended the game on mercy rule in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Drovers won 8-0 and by a mercy rule for the second time in three games.

The last game of the series was the most competitive. CCC started strong with two runs in the top of the first inning, giving them their first lead all series at 2-0. The Tigers could not keep up the pace, however, as they did not score another run for the rest of the game. USAO started their scoring off with a single from Malea McMurtrey that led to a run from Ruth. The Drovers would end the first inning tied at 2-2. The rest of the runs would come in the bottom of the third as USAO took a 3-2 lead off an error by the pitcher, which led to a run from McMurtrey. Another error from the pitcher led to USAO’s final run of the series coming from Smith. The Drovers would win the game 4-2 and go 4-0 on the weekend, extending USAO’s win streak to nine.

Williams and Abi Gregory dominated the rubber. Over 12.0 innings, Williams struck out 20 batters, walked two, and allowed two runs off three hits. Overall, Williams threw 154 pitches with 106 of those thrown in the strike zone. Gregory, a three-time SAC pitcher of the week, threw 13.0 innings where she struck out 21 batters, walked 11, and allowed two runs off seven hits. Gregory threw 234 pitches with 138 pitches ending in the strike zone.

Drover softball will be on the field once again Tuesday, March 21st against Oklahoma Christian University (OCU) the first game will begin at 4 p.m. with the second game following at 6 p.m.

Preston Palm is a second-year Communication major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.