Softball skid reaches 17 with losses to UCO

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LAWTON, Okla. (April 6) - Cameron got a pair of solid pitching performances from Lindsay Williams and Jessica Hutton on Tuesday, but the Aggie offense failed to produce.

Cameron lost both ends of a Lone Star Conference doubleheader with Central Oklahoma, extending its losing streak to 17 games. The losses, both by scores of 1-0, dropped Coach Gladys Crawford's squad to 6-29 overall and 1-17 in conference play.

Crawford and the Aggies will look for a return to the win column on Wednesday, hosting Oklahoma Panhandle State in a pair of non-conference games beginning at 2 p.m., at Cameron Field.

Both contests on Tuesday featured strong pitching from both sides. Williams faced just two batters over the minimum through the first six innings of Game 1 for the Aggies. The Lawton junior allowed just one hit during that span as both teams went into the seventh inning locked in a scoreless tie.

But Central Oklahoma strung together three hits, including an RBI single by Nikki Vandever, to post the only run of the game in the top of the seventh. UCO's Jordan Akin got the win on the mound, limiting the Aggies to just four hits while striking out three.

In Game 2, Hutton did all she could to keep the Aggies in the game. The Choctaw sophomore struck out five and scattered five hits while working the complete game.

But UCO got all the offense it would need in the fifth inning. Hutton retired the first two batters of the frame before Courtney Cole lifted a two-out double over the head of Cameron right fielder Laura Gretsinger. Lauren Moore followed with a single through the right side to score Cole and put the Bronchos up 1-0.

Cameron threatened to score several times in the contest, but could never muster a key hit. The Aggies stranded seven runners on base, including the would-be tying run on third in the bottom of the seventh. Three UCO pitchers combined to limit the Aggies to five hits in the game. Starter Falon Barnes earned the win, allowing just two CU hits in four innings of work. Akin entered in the seventh to earn her second save of the year.

Cameron's lone offensive bright spot on the day was freshman Kelsey Wheeler, who improved her team-leading batting average to .281 with a 3-for-5 showing at the plate. Wheeler was 1-for-3 in Game 1 and finished 2-for-2 in the nightcap.