­­The University of Central Oklahoma won 4-0 over the University of Minnesota Duluth in the opening round of the NCAA II Central Region Tournament in Edmond, Okla. The No. 1 Bronchos came up with three runs in the fifth inning to pull away from the Bulldogs, who were shutout despite outhitting UCO.

The Bronchos, the top seed and regional host, moved onward in the winner's bracket to play Arkansas Tech University tomorrow afternoon. The Golden Suns knocked off Southern Arkansas University 4-3 in the first game of the day. UMD, the eighth seed in the region, will face Southern Arkansas in the first elimination game on Friday at 2:30 p.m.

A pair of errors in the fifth inning was all the difference that swung the game in Central Oklahoma's way. The Bronchos (46-5) scored all three runs unearned in the fifth without the ball ever leaving the infield. JoBi Heath drew a based-loaded walk, plating the first unearned run. The next at-bat UMD threw the ball away to the backstop as the Bulldogs couldn't corral the short hopper at the plate to get the force. Central Oklahoma would score twice during the sequence to take a 4-0 lead.

Lost in the one bad defensive inning was the performance from pitcher Sam Pederson. The freshman from North Branch, Minn., got the nod to start in the biggest game of the season to date and gave up just one earned run to the No. 1 team in the nation on its home field. Pederson dazzled in the circle allowing four hits overall and struck out three. She kept the dangerous Heath, the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Player of the Year, to no hits and even struck her out looking. Pederson got out of a jam in the first and worked her way out of a bases-loaded no-outs opportunity for the Bronchos in the third by surrendering one run.

UMD (33-21) had its chances to strike but MIAA Pitcher of the Year Bailey McKittrick kept the Bulldogs scoreless. UMD went 1-for-7 with runners but had three two-outs hits to extend innings. McKittrick would shut down any opportunity before the Bulldogs could string together hits. McKittrick tossed all seven innings for her 25^th win, yielding five hits and no walks.

Freshman third baseman Emma Frost was the lone player to register two hits as she singled in the fifth and the seventh. The Bulldogs also received base hits from sophomore designated player Jessica Bren, sophomore second baseman Taylor Koehnen and junior catcher Hannah Bloch.

The Bulldogs have dropped both of its NCAA II Tournament games to Central Oklahoma – the other, an 8-4 lost in 2016 in Magnolia, Ark. UMD, making its ninth national tournament appearance, is 2-7 in the first round. Tomorrow's 2:30 p.m. game will feature a rematch of last season's NCAA Super Regional series between UMD and Southern Arkansas. The Lady Muleriders took the series in two, advancing to the NCAA II World Series. The Bulldogs are 4-4 in the second round.

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