LUBBOCK, Texas (April 16, 2011) – The Oklahoma Christian softball team succumbed to two narrow losses in their double header against No. 11 Lubbock Christian University on Saturday falling in the first game 7-6 and in the second 8-7.
Game 1
In the first game, the Lady Eagles captured the first score when Sarah Peoples went home on an error by the Lady Chaparrals during the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead.
A scoreless second followed before Lubbock Christian responded with a single run inning in the third to tie the game at 1-1 before heading into the fourth. The Lady Chaps tacked on one more run in the fourth to advance to a 2-1 lead.
Directly following in the top of the fifth, the Lady Eagles retorted with five runs to retake the lead at a 6-2 advantage. Lauren Walk made the first score from a Deidre Chatigny single to start things off. With the bases loaded on the next at bat, Davee Croy smashed a grand slam to send in Chatigny, Peoples, and Megan Bray to give the Lady Eagles a four-run lead.
OC held the Lady Chaps in the bottom of the inning, however, LCU cut the Lady Eagle gap to just two in the sixth and finished out the final inning with three runs to pull out the one-run victory at 7-6.
Walk and Peoples led at the plate going 2-for-3 and 2-for-4, respectively. Leigh Leonard was handed her second loss of the season (14-2) as she pitched the complete game and threw nine strikeouts in the process.
Game 2
The Lady Eagles again, were the first to score taking a two run lead in the top of the first for game two. Following a double from Croy, Kayla Jennings took the plate to blast a two run homer and put the Lady Eagles up 2-0.
Following a scoreless second, the Lady Eagles furthered their lead with three additional runs in the top of the third. Peoples went home first, again scoring on an error by the Lady Chaps. Two batters later, Jennings hit a single up the middle to score Chatigny for the second score. Jennings claimed the last run on a passed ball to put the Lady Eagles up 5-0.
LCU retaliated in the bottom of the inning with two runs to make it 5-2, Lady Eagles lead. An inning later, the Lady Chaps managed to put together a six-run inning in the fourth to leave the Lady Eagles at an 8-5, three-run deficit.
Two more scoreless innings followed before the Lady Eagles put together a last stand in the seventh with two more runs. Croy batted in the first run with a single to left that allowed Bray to make it home. On the next at bat, Jennings reached base on a fielder's choice that drove Peoples in for the score making it 8-7, LCU lead. With a double play on the next at bat, the Lady Chaps sealed the one-run victory halting OC's final efforts.
Croy went 3-for-4 to lead the Lady Eagles at the plate while both Peoples and Jennings went 2-for-4 with Jennings also tallying four RBI.
The losses bring the Lady Eagles to 33-12 overall and to 14-8 in conference play. The OC softball team will return home for their next matchup as they host Northwestern Oklahoma State University on Tuesday in a double header at 2 p.m.
-OC-
