Game one box
Game two box
OC-NWOSU photo gallery

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (March 26, 2009) – Oklahoma Christian University pitchers Linzi Farris and Leigh Leonard combined to throw 14 shutout innings in a doubleheader sweep of Northwestern Oklahoma State University on Thursday.

The Lady Eagles scored wins of 5-0 and 2-0 to improve to 18-11 overall and 6-4 in the Sooner Athletic Conference. Northwestern Oklahoma State dropped to 13-22 and 2-10 in conference play.

Two days after exploding for 15 runs against Science and Arts of Oklahoma, it was pitching that led Oklahoma Christian on Thursday. Farris allowed only two hits and struck out six to improve to 3-5 in game one. Then Leonard hurled a two-hitter with two whiffs to jump to 6-3.

A steady drizzle lingered throughout the doubleheader, which will be OC's last games until they host No. 6 Lubbock Christian University (Texas) on April 2. The Lady Eagles' regularly-scheduled Saturday twinbill at No. 4 St. Gregory's University (Okla.) has been rescheduled due to impending poor weather.

In Thursday's opener, OC grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Casey Brady doubled home Amy Urbanovsky. The Lady Eagles didn't need any more run support behind the almost-perfect Farris, but they added three insurance runs in the fourth inning, and one more in the sixth.

In the fourth, Diedre Chatigny drove in a run with a fielder's choice groundout before Amber Canady ripped a two-RBI double to center. OC upped the lead to 5-0 when Cara Miller raced home on a bad throw from NWOSU's shortstop in the sixth.

Christin Dobbs and Canady each went 2-for-4 in the first game as the Lady Eagles outhit the Lady Rangers 9-2.

In the second game, Leonard and NWOSU's Renea Tarwater were locked in a scoreless pitchers' duel for the first five innings.

OC finally broke through against the Lady Rangers' pesky right-hander when Tracy Washam laced a double down the left-field line to plate Tiffany Sherman. Miller then brought Washam home when she ticketed a two-bagger into the left-centerfield gap.

Leonard retired the Lady Rangers in order in the top of the seventh to notch her second shutout of 2009.

Sherman and Chatigny led OC's offense in game two with 2-for-3 efforts, but Washam and Miller were the heroes with their clutch late-game doubles. OC outhit NWOSU 8-2 in the contest.

-OC-