Box Score OKLAHOMA CITY (March 12, 2016) – Oklahoma Christian is sweeping its way through the Heartland Conference and the Lady Eagles have set themselves up for a big showdown.
The Lady Eagles made it 3-for-3 in series sweeps on Saturday, as
Haley Squier tripled and scored in the eighth inning to allow OC to escape
Tom Heath Field with a 4-3 win over a scrappy Newman (Kan.) squad.
OC (14-11, 9-0 Heartland) placed fifth in the league's preseason poll of softball coaches, but the Lady Eagles instead find themselves on top of the standings after taking three games each from Texas-Permian Basin, Texas A&M International and Newman the past three weekends.
OC, which has won seven straight games overall, will visit longtime Heartland power St. Mary's (Texas) next Friday and Saturday for a key series. St. Mary's, which reached the NCAA Division II World Series last season, is 6-0 in league play heading into a weather-delayed three-game series at Rogers State on Sunday and Monday.
On Saturday, Courtney Sartin's RBI single in the first inning put Newman up 1-0, but
Niki Davidson's double to left-center field scored
Jordan Chism in the bottom of the inning to tie the game. OC went up 2-1 in the second inning, as
Madison Nordyke's single to right field brought home
Kelsie Finch, who had drawn a leadoff walk.
The Jets tied the game in the fifth on a run-scoring double by Sartin. OC again took the lead in the bottom of the inning, with
Sheridan Bond doubling to left-center field and eventually scoring on a sacrifice fly by Chism.
With two outs in the seventh inning, Newman made it 3-3 when Taylor Mannis singled home Mikayla Medbery, who had doubled. OC freshman
Madison Hagood then relieved Nordyke, the Lady Eagles' starting pitcher, and recorded the final out of the inning.
The Jets had a runner reach second base with no outs in the eighth, but Hagood (9-3) retired the next three Newman batters to end the treat.
Newman reliever Katie Ingles (3-4) quickly recorded two outs in the eighth, but Squier tripled to right center and scored the winning run after Sartin, Newman's third baseman, mishandled a ball off the bat of Finch.
