After a mid-week split the Northwest Missouri State softball team was hoping for better luck against 6th-ranked Central Oklahoma as the Bronchos swept the Bearcats 6-0 and 9-1 Saturday afternoon at Broncho Field.

The Bearcats slipped to 12-20 on the season while UCO improved to 29-3 and have now won 27 straight games. Northwest continues action on Sunday against Northeastern State, a school that along with UCO, will join the MIAA next season.

The Bronchos got a pair of stellar pitching performances including a one-hit shutout in game one.

Kristen Uthe kept the Bearcats from being no-hit as she singled through the left side in the top of the first inning. However, UCO starter Amanda McClelland went seven innings and only allowed one more base runner, a fifth inning walk to Kristine Labertew.

Labertew led-off the fifth with a walk and would be stranded with the Bearcats trailing 6-0.

UCO picked up five runs in the bottom of the third and added its final run on a sacrifice fly in the fourth.

Morgan Brunmeier picked up the loss going 3.1 innings allowing 6 runs, although only 4 were earned.

Abbie Vitosh pitched 2.2 innings of relief holding UCO hitless and only walking one.

Game two was more offensive firepower from the Broncho bats aided by a pair of home runs.

UCO jumped out to another early lead with three runs in the first inning with a 2-run homer from Nathalie Timmermans. Timmermans extended the lead in the second as she set a UCO school record for home runs in a season and gave the Bronchos a 4-0 lead.

Northwest would get on the board in the third inning as Hailee Hendricks reached on a UCO error that scored Kylie Cantrell. Cantrell had singled to lead-off the inning for one of the Bearcats two hits in game two.

Paige Blythe took the loss as Vitosh pitched 3.2 innings of relief as UCO ended the game in the sixth via run rule.

— NWMSU Sports Information —