EDMOND, OKLA. – On a day when the East Central University softball team got to travel to a single city and play two true away games, the Tigers (5-5) split the day.  ECU first fell to Central Oklahoma 12-2, in five innings, and then defeated Oklahoma Christian 5-4.

The Tigers were led by junior Kahlie Barrett and sophomore Catherine Barrera, who both hit .600 or more.  Barrett hit .667 in one game, while Barrera added a .600 average, three hits, three runs and an RBI.

Junior Demi Danell earned the win against the Eagles (7-6), throwing 5.1 innings, allowing seven hits and three runs.

ECU will now take a week off to prepare for their first Great American Conference games of the season, Feb. 23-24 at Southern Arkansas.

ECU 5, OC 4
ECU started the scoring in the top of the second inning.  Freshman Tarah Hilton led off the inning with a single, before the first two outs were recorded.  That didn't stop the Tigers, as junior Aundrea Hamric singled to score the first run of the game.

Hamric then stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error.  That put her in a spot to score when Barrera singled.  The final run of the inning was scored when junior Ellanee Allison doubled.

ECU added a run to the board in the fourth inning on singles from Barrett and Barrera.  However, the run was scored on a wild pitch for the 4-0 lead.

The Eagles got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth after getting the bases loaded with just a single out.  OC scored just a single run to make the score 4-1.

The Eagles continued to fight back, cutting the lead to one (4-3) after the sixth inning.

The Tigers pushed the lead back to two in the top of the seventh.  Barrera started the inning with a double and scored when Taylor singled to center field for the 5-3 advantage.

OC made things interesting in the bottom of the seventh, netting a run after a triple and single.  However, that was all they could get on the scoreboard to give ECU the 5-4 win.

Central Oklahoma 12, ECU 2 (5)
The Tigers started the scoring in the top of the first inning.  Barrera drew a walk to start the game and was sent around the bases when senior Alissa Taylor hit a home run to center field for a 2-0 lead.

However, the Bronchos (7-3) hit a two-run home run of their own in the bottom of the first to tie the game at two.

Both teams were scoreless in the second, but in the bottom of the third, UCO took control of the game, scoring eight runs on five hits to take a 10-2 advantage.  The Bronchos added two more runs in the fourth for the 12-2 final.