Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 OKLAHOMA CITY (Feb. 14, 2015) – The word of the day for Oklahoma Christian's baseball team on Saturday was perseverance.

OC managed only three hits against Dakota State (S.D.), but made the most of their scoring opportunities while simultaneously dealing with a sudden drop in temperature and dramatic wind shift. Thanks to Ben McKenzie's three RBIs and a 10-strikeout performance by Hunter Raley, the Eagles escaped Dobson Field with a 5-3 win, snapping a four-game losing streak.

The win came after the Eagles hung with NCAA Division II regional power West Texas A&M for six innings before falling 9-3 in an afternoon game. In between, West Texas A&M routed Dakota State 18-3.

"It was really cold," Cobble said. "I was really proud of the guys, the way they hung in there. … I thought our guys battled well. We needed a W to get off that losing streak."

Dakota State (0-2) jumped on Raley for two runs in the top of the first inning, with Jake Harris delivering an RBI double for the Trojans. McKenzie hit a solo home run to left field in the second inning to pull OC (2-5) within 2-1.

During the third inning, a cold front moved into the area. Temperatures that had been in the high 60s plummeted into the mid-40s and what had been a soft west wind turned into a 30-40 mph gusts from the northeast, kicking up dirt and generally making conditions miserable for both players and spectators.

Still, OC managed to scratch out three runs against Dakota State starter Richard Sternberg (0-1) without the aid of a hit in the third. Chase Kuwitzky went all the way to second base when Dakota State third baseman Nick Serrata overthrew first base on a routine grounder. Derek Jones followed with a walk and Zac Cobble sacrificed them over – but another error, on Sternberg, allowed Cobble to reach, loading the bases.

Kuwitzky scored on a sacrifice fly by Caden Cleveland to tie the game. McKenzie followed with an RBI groundout and Cobble scored on a balk by Sternberg, making it 4-2.

"Dakota State, coming in not being outside a whole lot, we benefitted from a few mistakes those guys made," Cobble said. "But we also played some young guys early on to try to get some guys some experience. I know there were nerves a little bit with some of those guys with some of them making their first start. But I was proud of the overall effort. We used a lot of guys tonight ."

Raley (1-1) mostly dominated during his four-inning stint, recording three strikeouts in three separate innings before giving way to reliever Matt Brown.

"He gave us a great pitching effort with 10 punchouts," Cobble said. "His pitch count was up. I wish he could have went another inning or two, but we're going to get that worked out. The more he throws, the better I think he's going to get."

The Trojans pulled within 4-3 in the fifth, as Jordan Entrikin walked and eventually scored on an error, but they stranded two runners in the sixth against another OC reliever, Kyle Lacy.

OC's two other hits came to open the sixth off Sternberg. Cleveland doubled just inside the right-field line and Lacy – pinch-running for Cleveland – scored on a single to center field by McKenzie. Dylon Sturges came on in the seventh and retired the Trojans in order to record his first save of the season. Dakota State also managed only three hits – only one after the first inning.

In the opener, West Texas A&M (6-2) led 4-1 before the Eagles scored twice in the bottom of the fifth, with Jones hitting a run-scoring double and later scoring on a groundout by Cobble. But Matt Cole doubled and scored for West Texas A&M in the seventh to make it 5-3 and the Buffaloes added four more in the eighth, with Jace Reese and Cole each homering.

"We always talk about the level we want to get to, and that's just another example of Division II baseball, some of the elite teams," Cobble said. "That's one of the upper-echelon teams and that's where we want to get to."

Brooks Trujillo (1-1) had seven strikeouts in five innings for West Texas A&M, while OC starter Kelby Reneau (1-1) took the loss despite allowing only six hits in five innings.

OC and Dakota State will play a doubleheader on Sunday, starting at 12:30 p.m. – weather permitting.

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