OKLAHOMA CITY (Feb. 21, 2014) – Oklahoma Christian baseball coach Lonny Cobble uses NCAA Division II power St. Edward's (Texas) as a measuring stick for his team, to see where the Eagles stack up against arguably the best team in the Heartland Conference.

The answer Friday was OC is right there with them.

Cory Eastwood's bases-loaded double down the left-field line keyed a seven-run eighth inning that lifted the Eagles to a 13-8 win over the Hilltoppers at Dobson Field, giving OC a split of the doubleheader that opened the conference season for both squads.

Star pitcher Brannon Easterling threw a complete game – his fourth of the season – in the first game as St. Edward's won 5-2. The teams will play the rubber match of the series on Saturday.

St. Edward's (8-5, 1-1 Heartland) reached the Division II semifinals last season and, despite a slow start to the season, still is receiving votes in the Division II national rankings.

"It's fun to play these guys and beat these guys," Cobble said. "…This was the only (conference) team we didn't beat that we played last year, so it was pretty exciting getting these guys."

OC (4-2, 1-1) trailed 7-1 at one point in the second game, but the Eagles came to life with four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Cameron Keener delivered a two-run double and Eastwood followed with a run-scoring triple to cut the gap to 7-5.

Both teams scored once in the seventh. The Hilltoppers sent reliever Vito Lorenzini to the mound to start the eighth. He quickly recorded one out, but then gave up singles to Caleb Price and Garrett Stephenson. Daniel Becks (0-2) relieved Lorenzini and failed to retire any of the three batters he faced, walking Robert Rosser before giving up Eastwood's bases-clearing double and a run-scoring single to Markus Carr.

A third reliever, Bryce Davis, faced six more OC batters before recording the third out. All told, the Eagles sent 12 men to the plate during the inning.

"We've talked about, this year, giving ourselves a chance, staying hooked up and making every out count," Cobble said. "The guys are buying into it. Last year, we struggled a lot scoring runs. This year, it seems that we're putting up runs. Now, if we can just get it all put together. … We dug ourselves a hole but I was proud with the way the guys hung in there and battled back."

Garrett Guys, making only his second pitching appearance since high school, threw a perfect ninth inning to finish off the win for OC. Reliever Eddie Broll (1-0) picked up the win with a scoreless eighth inning, after Dillon Endecott had stabilized the Eagles with 3 2/3 innings of solid relief work, allowing OC time to rally.

"We've got a good, deep pitching staff," Cobble said. "We're not afraid to go with any of those guys. It's just fun to get those guys out there and let each guy do their part and hold serve."

Price went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and Jordan Lopez, Blake Stringer and Eastwood each had a pair of hits for OC. Wes Koenig went 3-for-5 for St. Edward's and Dylan Watts went 2-for-4 with three RBIs.

In the opener, Koenig went 3-for-3 and drove in all of the Hilltoppers' runs, with three of those RBIs coming on a second-inning home run over the left-field fence off OC starter Brandon Pierce (1-1).

Lopez answered with a solo shot in the bottom of the inning, but the Eagles managed only one other run off Easterling (2-2), who earned third-team All-America honors last season after tying for the Division II lead with 14 wins and throwing 14 complete games.