Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 OKLAHOMA CITY (March 4, 2016) – When everyone contributes, good things happen, and they certainly did on Friday for Oklahoma Christian's softball team against Texas A&M International.
The Lady Eagles received solid hitting from up and down their lineup and freshman left-hander
Madison Hagood recorded two pitching wins as OC swept Texas A&M International 11-2 and 6-3 at
Tom Heath Field to begin what could be a crucial Heartland Conference series.
OC (10-11, 5-0 Heartland) remained tied atop the league standings with St. Mary's (Texas) at 5-0 and the Lady Eagles will look to finish off what would be a second straight conference series sweep when they play TAMIU (12-14, 3-2) at noon on Saturday.
"I'm proud of the whole team," OC coach
Tom Heath said. "We tell them this is a team effort on games like today. We had pinch runners. We had girls that got the bunt down when we needed it. Little things. I'm very proud of the whole team. Those are two big conference wins.
"We're very excited about it. We've just got to keep it going now. Our kids are pumped. They're not content to win two out of three. They want to sweep. That's what we've got to do when we have the opportunity and we've got that opportunity tomorrow."
In the first game, OC jumped on TAMIU ace Krystal de la Cruz (8-4) for 10 runs and 11 hits in 3 1/3 innings. Six different Lady Eagles –
Sheridan Bond,
Jordan Chism,
Niki Davidson,
Haley Squier,
Bridget White and
Alexus Vanlandingham – had two hits each as OC scored in each of its four at-bats, capped by a six-run outburst in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Hagood allowed five hits and didn't allow a run until the top of the fifth, after OC had built an 11-0 lead.
OC faced more difficulty in the second game, taking awhile to figure out TAMIU pitcher Delainy Thompson (4-7), who held the Lady Eagles without a hit until the fourth inning.
OC's starter in the circle,
Madison Nordyke, pitched well, striking out five in 5 1/3 innings, but she issued four walks in the second inning that let the Dustdevils go ahead 1-0. Squier doubled in the fourth, and TAMIU right fielder Alyssa Acuna let the ball get by her, allowing Squier to score and tie the game.
Nordyke hit a no-doubt home run – her first of the season – over the left-field wall in the fifth to put OC ahead 2-1, but TAMIU's Brandi Giles answered with a one-out, two-run homer in the sixth to give the Dustdevils a 3-2 lead.
Hagood (7-3) entered and pitched the rest of the way, allowing only a single in 1 2/3 innings.
OC again rallied in the sixth, stringing together four singles to open the inning. White's single to right field scored Vanlandingham to tie the game and Thompson then hit
Kelsie Finch with a pitch, forcing home
Jourdan Bruce with the go-ahead run.
Kirsten Scott's groundout scored Squier to make it 5-3 and a wild pitch by de la Cruz – who had relieved Thompson – allowed White to score.
"Maddie Nordyke did a good job keeping us in the game, and eventually we got the bats going," Heath said.
Hagood retired the Dustdevils in order in the seventh, finishing off her second win of the day and third of the week.
"She's capable of getting two wins in a day," Heath said of Hagood. "She can come in and she's hard to hit. She had done an outstanding job.
Tom Heath on the doubleheader: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGpP2f1wrW4&feature=youtu.be
