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OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (April 9, 2009) – Powered by a seven-run sixth inning, Oklahoma Christian University stunned the NAIA's No. 2- ranked baseball team, Oklahoma City University, 18-11 at a wind-blown Dobson Field Thursday night.

The victory is Oklahoma Christian's first over a ranked opponent in the school's new baseball era. The series is tied 1-1 with the deciding game set for tomorrow night at 7 p.m. back at Dobson Field. OC is now 16-17 overall and 8-11 in the Sooner Athletic Conference.

"This is a huge win for our program. We have a great deal of respect for OCU, and to knock off such a quality opponent boosts our confidence a lot. We've got a great group of kids who are working their tails off, and tonight was the culmination of that hard work," OC head coach Chuck White said.

The Stars (37-5, 16-4 SAC) jumped out to an early lead and appeared to be right on their way to making quick work of the Eagles. Behind two home runs in the first two innings, Oklahoma City built a 5-0 cushion after an inning-and-a-half of action.

OC cracked the scoreboard when OCU third baseman B.J. Wheeler misplayed a grounder from Chance Nichols with the bases loaded that allowed three runs to make it 5-3. Then the Stars scored three more times in the top of the third – two coming on a Sammy Lee home run – to put OCU on top 8-3.

But that's when the Eagles got going. OC scored 11 unanswered runs in the next four innings to tilt the game in its favor.

Zac Coshow led off the third inning with a solo homer, and Jordan Price did the same to start the fifth to continue OC on the comeback trail. The Eagles added two more runs in the fifth after Nichols and Ray Long drew consecutive bases-loaded walks to make it a one-run game at 8-7.

Then the floodgates opened in the sixth when the Eagles sent 12 batters to the plate, resulting in seven runs, and putting OC on top for good.

Coshow started the push with his second bomb, a blistered two-run shot to the deepest part of the ballpark in left-center to jump OC on top 9-7. Jeff Davis then followed suit when he went yard to right-center to put the Eagles ahead 11-8.

Ray Long singled in a run before Price plated two with a Texas-leaguer bloop single down the right-field line to make it 14-8.

The Stars didn't go away quietly, and answered OC's big inning with three runs of their own in the seventh. Brent Weaver – the NAIA's leading home run hitter– led off the frame with his second blast of the game, and his 24th homer of the year, to bring OCU within 14-8. Then with two outs, Kirk Walker ripped a two-RBI double to center to narrow the advantage to 14-11.

The Eagles added four insurance runs in the seventh though to hold the Stars at an arm's length. Coshow once again came through in the clutch with a two-out single that scored two to make it an 18-11 game.

Ryan Kirk came out of the OC bullpen with one out in the eighth and recorded the final five outs to preserve the victory. The senior left-hander induced an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded in the eighth, then struck out the Stars in order in the top of the ninth to complete OC's biggest baseball win in years.

Coshow was the offensive hero on Thursday. The sophomore transfer from Arkansas-Ft. Smith went 3-for-6 with two home runs (4), five RBIs and two runs scored. Price finished the game 2-for-3 with a homer (7) three runs scored and three RBIs, and Davis went 2-for-6 with a homer (4) and two RBIs.

Quaid Johns went 2-for-4 with three runs scored. Long drove in three with a 1-for-4 night from the leadoff spot, and Chance Nichols also plated three runs on a 1-for-4 effort. Cody Carpenter and Jay White also notched 1-for-4 showings.

Riley Jones (3-1) picked up the win after providing OC with 5.1 solid innings. The right-hander gave up seven runs (six earned) against OCU's vaunted lineup, but he posted three vital scoreless innings in the middle of the game to allow OC to chip away at OCU's early lead.

Kirk struck out three and gave up only one hit in 1.2 innings of work, while Bret Rodgers pitched two-thirds of an inning of scoreless action. Justin Ebert started the game and worked 1.1 innings with five runs allowed and two strikeouts.

Michael Bryant (2-1) got the loss in relief for OCU. Weaver led the Stars offensively with a 3-for-4, two-homer, four-RBI night.

OC went 13-for-38 (.342) on the night and 8-for-22 (.363) with runners on base. Defensively, the Eagles were solid all game long as well. OC didn't commit an error and took care of 10 groundball outs and eight fly outs in the win.

-OC-