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Box Score 2 OKLAHOMA CITY (April 8, 2016) – The standings said Oklahoma Christian and St. Edward's (Texas) would be evenly matched in their Heartland Conference softball series, and nothing that happened Friday at
Tom Heath Field changed that perception.
OC and the Hilltoppers split a pair of down-to-the-wire games, with St. Edward's hanging on for a 6-5 win in the opener and the Lady Eagles doing the same in a 4-3 win in the second game.
The rubber game of the series between OC (18-23, 10-7 Heartland) and St. Edward's (20-19, 10-7) will be at noon Saturday, with sole possession of third place in the league standings at stake.
St. Edward's used a five-run fifth inning against OC starter
Madison Hagood (11-9) to build a 6-1 lead in the opener. The big blow was three-run home run by Morgan Dufour, her ninth longball of the season for the Hilltoppers.
With a big lead, St. Edward's coach Lindsay Gardner pulled her starting pitcher, ace Lauren Slatten, and put in reliever Megan Hoffman to start the sixth inning. OC quickly took advantage, loading the bases on two singles and a hit-by-pitch before
Alexus Vanlandingham drew an RBI walk.
Gardner went back to Slatten, who walked
Sheridan Bond to make it 6-3, and
Madison Nordyke's fielder's choice groundout pulled OC within 6-4 before Slatten struck out
Haley Squier.
In the OC seventh,
Niki Davidson led off with a single.
Avery Walker pinch-ran for Davidson and scored on a single by
Bridget White. St. Edward's right fielder Alex Mayfield misplayed White's blooper, allowing White to make it all the way to third base on the play, with only one out.
But Slatten retired
Kayla Eichler on a foul popup, and after she hit
Lacey Davidson with a pitch, Slatten (13-8) struck out Vanlandingham to end the game.
OC did all of its offensive damage in the second game in the third inning against St. Edward's pitcher Olivia Burdick (3-6). White tripled with one out and scored on a single to left field by Bond.
Madison Nordyke drew a walk and Squier followed with a single to score Bond, putting OC up 2-1.
Kelsie Finch's two-out double to center field gave the Lady Eagles a 4-1 lead.
St. Edward's rallied with single runs in the fifth and sixth against OC starter
Kaylie Upton (5-4). Hagood relieved Upton after the Hilltoppers started the sixth with singles by Samantha Gilmore and Sami Williams.
Pinch-runner Jinny Stricklin eventually scored on a fielder's choice grounder by Shelbi Roohms, just beating a throw home by OC third baseman White, but Williams was stranded at third base as Hagood struck out Megan Hoffman and Mayfield to end the threat.
Hagood retired the Hilltoppers in order in the seventh to finish off her second save of the season.
