Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SAN ANTONIO (March 18, 2016) – In a battle for first place in Heartland Conference softball on Friday afternoon, upstart Oklahoma Christian came oh-so-close to stealing a game in one of the league's toughest venues.

The Lady Eagles came within a pitch of winning the opening game of their three-game series at No. 9-ranked St. Mary's (Texas) before the Rattlers rallied with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning and eventually prevailed 4-3 in 11 innings. St. Mary's won the second game 6-1.

St. Mary's (25-5, 11-0) remained unbeaten in league play, while OC (14-15, 9-2) dropped into second place. OC and the Rattlers will finish their three-game series on Saturday.

Things looked great for the Lady Eagles for much of the first game. OC's starting pitcher, left-hander Madison Hagood (9-6), didn't allow a baserunner or a hit until the fourth inning, allowing the Lady Eagles to build a 2-0 lead with single runs in each of the first two innings.

OC left the bases loaded in the sixth inning, an inning in which Avery Walker was thrown out at the plate by St. Mary's while trying to score from second base on a single by Niki Davidson. Kristal Salinas doubled and scored in the bottom of the sixth for the Rattlers, but the Lady Eagles extended their lead to 3-1 in the seventh, as Davidson singled home sister Lacey Davidson, who had hit a leadoff double.

St. Mary's had two runners on and two outs when No. 9 batter Hannah Fields doubled to left field to tie the game and force extra innings. OC didn't have a hit in those innings and in the 11th, the Rattlers broke through against Hagood, who had re-entered in the 10th in relief of Madison Nordyke, who had replaced her in the seventh.

Salinas led off the inning with a double to left field and was sacrificed to third base by Fields. Alena Moreno singled up the middle to score Salinas with the winning run.

St. Mary's reliever Ashley Mills (8-0) picked up the win, throwing six shutout innings.

OC led the second game 1-0 after Haley Squier's single scored Niki Davidson, who led off the second inning with a double to left field. But the Rattlers answered with a four-run outburst in the bottom of the inning, taking advantage of two errors by the Lady Eagles.

The Lady Eagles managed only three hits against St. Mary's pitcher Jorden Russell (8-3). Kaylie Upton (4-3) went the distance in the circle for the Lady Eagles.