ORANGE BEACH, Ala. (March 15, 2009) – Oklahoma Christian University went 4-2 and reached the semifinals of the top bracket against a loaded field at the Gulf Coast Invitational over the weekend.
The highlight of the Lady Eagles run was a 5-1 victory over No. 6 Mobile University (Ala.) in the first round of the gold bracket. Oklahoma Christian played five teams that were either ranked or received votes in the NAIA softball poll.
The Lady Eagles – 14-7 on the season – get a rematch with Mobile on its home field Tuesday. OC then plays at No. 13 William Carey University (Miss.) on Wednesday.
The win over Mobile (the defending NAIA national runnerup) saw OC use the momentum from a 10-6, eight-inning win over Trevecca Nazarene (Tenn.) to score three times in the first inning. Casey Brady got the spree started when she doubled in a pair, then she scored on a wild pitch to give the Lady Eagles an early three-run cushion.
OC starter Caitlin Matthies didn't allow a Mobile hit over the next 4.1 innings until the Lady Rams finally got a clean single in the fifth inning. But the next UM batter hit a hard liner to third baseman Ashley Noles who doubled off the UM runner at first to end the inning.
OC then added on when Cara Miller smoked a solo shot down the left-field line and Amber Canady made it home on a UM error to up the lead to 5-0.
Matthies turned in a superb seven-inning, two-hit outing with five strikeouts to improve to 4-1 on the year. Miller finished the game 2-for-2 with a double and her first-career homer.
The Lady Eagles opened the tournament on Friday with a 6-5, eight-inning win over Spring Hill College (Ala.).
Oklahoma Christian broke a 4-4 tie in the top of the eighth inning when Kayla Jennings singled up the middle to plate Amy Urbanovsky. Matthies – who started the game and re-entered in the eighth – picked up her first save of the year.
Sophia McKean was the pitcher of record for OC after recording the final two outs in the seventh.
Friday's second game saw No. 15 Shorter College (Ga.) jump out to a 5-0 lead and hold OC scoreless for 6.2 innings en route to a 7-2 win.
Urbanovsky hit a two-run shot with two outs in the seventh to get the Lady Eagles on the board.
OC opened Saturday with a 4-0 shutout of Grand View College (Iowa). McKean got the win after completing all seven innings with only 92 pitches. The junior used her dropball to record 12 groundball outs and she struck out four batters.
The Lady Eagles broke a scoreless tie in the third inning when Brady and Urbanovsky each had RBI singles to put OC ahead 2-0. OC outhit Grand View 10-4 and Brady and Urbanovsky each went 2-for-3 in the game.
The win set up the Lady Eagles' final pool-play game against Trevecca Nazarene. OC blew a 4-1 lead when the Lady Trojans tied the score at 5-5 with two runs in the bottom of the seventh.
But OC cranked out five runs on four hits in the top of the eighth – all coming with two outs – to grab a demanding 10-5 lead. Brittany Rice got the push going when she chopped a two-RBI single over the third baseman's head, then Christin Dobbs doubled in a run before Canady smoked a two-run bomb over the left-field fence to make it 10-5.
McKean got her second win of the day to improve to 5-0, while Brady (2-for-4, HR, RBI), Sherman (2-for-4, RBI) and Dobbs (2-for-5, RBI) each had two hits.
After downing Mobile in the first round of tournament play, OC fell 5-3 to William Carey in the semifinals to end the tournament.
The Lady Eagles scored twice in the first, but WCU added three in their half to take the lead for good. Urbanovsky went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs and Noles was 2-for-4.
Urbanovsky finished the tournament 10-for-18 (.556) with a double, home run, five RBIs and six runs scored. McKean posted a 0.72 ERA in 9.2 innings to go 3-0 with six strikeouts, and Matthies carried a 1.17 ERA in 12 innings while going 1-0 with a save.
-OC-
