Box Score OKLAHOMA CITY (April 9, 2016) – Oklahoma Christian's ability to take advantage of mistakes by St. Edward's (Texas) proved to be the difference in deciding a key Heartland Conference softball series.
Defensive breakdowns by the Hilltoppers played a role in all three of OC's scoring rallies and the Lady Eagles beat St. Edward's 6-3 on Saturday afternoon at
Tom Heath Field. OC won the final two games of the series after dropping the opener.
OC (19-23, 11-7 Heartland) moved into sole possession of third place in the league standings, one game ahead of St. Edward's (20-20, 10-8). Both teams have two league series remaining and could well meet again in the Heartland Conference postseason tournament.
Both teams went with their No. 1 pitchers, with OC's
Madison Hagood outdueling the Hilltoppers' Lauren Slatten. Hagood (12-9) went the distance, relying on her defense – particularly third baseman
Bridget White, who had seven assists – while Slatten (13-9) didn't record an out in the fifth inning.
St. Edward's went up 1-0 in the third inning, as Megan Hoffman singled and eventually scored on an error by OC left fielder
Haley Squier. The Hilltoppers loaded the bases with two outs but Hagood coaxed a fly ball out of Sami Williams, which right fielder
Kayla Eichler juggled but caught to end the threat.
The Hilltoppers had runners on second and third base with one out in the fourth, but Hoffman flied out and Hagood struck out leadoff batter Alex Mayfield.
OC's
Madison Nordyke reached first base to lead off the bottom of the fourth after St. Edward's first baseman Samantha Gilmore briefly lost the handle on Nordyke's grounder. Given that small opening, the Lady Eagles pounced on Slatten.
Squier singled to right field and
Niki Davidson walked to load the bases.
Kelsie Finch's sacrifice fly tied the game, and Eichler singled to left, again loading the bases. White singled up the middle to score Squier and pinch-runner
Avery Walker and put OC up 3-1.
A throwing error by Slatten put two OC runners on base with no outs in the fifth and Davidson drilled a double to right-center field to score Nordyke and Squier, making it 5-1. In the sixth, an error on Hoffman, the St. Edward's shortstop, allowed
Sheridan Bond to reach base, and Bond stole second base before scoring on a single up the middle by Squier.
Keyed by a triple from Hoffman, the Hilltoppers scored twice in the seventh, but Williams grounded out to end the game.
OC will host Fort Hays State (Kan.) on Tuesday in a nonconference doubleheader before returning to Heartland play next Friday and Saturday at home against Rogers State. OC and the Hillcats will play a single game Friday at 7 p.m. before a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at noon.
