Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 OKLAHOMA CITY (March 21, 2017) – If Oklahoma Christian is to make the NCAA Division II postseason, the Lady Eagles must beat out several softball teams from the powerful Lone Star Conference in the process. They took a step toward that end on Tuesday night.

OC run-ruled LSC power Texas Woman's 11-3 at Tom Heath Field, avenging a 6-1 loss to the Pioneers in the first game and giving the Lady Eagles a 3-2 decision in the five-game season series between the foes.

That could be key, as Texas Woman's (20-11) is one of six LSC teams to have already won at least 20 games this season. OC (20-12) is the third Heartland Conference school to have done so, and another Heartland squad has 19 wins. Two Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference squads also have at least 20 wins. All are vying for one of eight spots in the South Central Regional.

OC is 11-8 this season against LSC squads with four games left and every win over a talented foe like Texas Woman's gives the Lady Eagles an edge, OC coach Tom Heath said. OC won a neutral-site game over the Pioneers and split a doubleheader at TWU last month before Tuesday's split.

"It showed a lot of character for us to bounce back the second game," Heath said. "We talked about that between games, that we had to put that loss behind us and bounce back. We have the kind of players who can do that and light it up. I was real proud of them."

In the opener, OC managed nine hits but stranded 11 baserunners against Texas Woman's pitchers Abby Walker (10-3) and Tori Bice. Texas Woman's did damage throughout, finishing with 10 hits and knocking out OC starter Madison Hagood (9-6) in the fourth inning. The Pioneers scored in five of their seven at-bats, highlighted by a solo home run by Walker, who went 3-for-3.

The Lady Eagles stranded 10 more baserunners in the second game, but the difference was they also took advantage of the Pioneers' mistakes and scored in every inning. Bice (6-7) threw four wild pitches in 3 1/3 innings and Texas Woman's committed five errors.

Sheridan Bond's two-run triple in the second inning off Bice gave the Lady Eagles a 3-1 lead and OC took the lead for good at 4-3 in the bottom of the third inning, when Kayla Eichler's sacrifice fly scored Bridget White, who had singled with one out, stole second base and advanced to third on a wild pitch.

OC scored four times in the fourth, thanks in good part to four walks issued by Bice and reliever Katie Hickey (they combined for 10) and a passed ball. Lacey Davidson had the only run-scoring hit for OC in the inning, a two-out single to left field.

The Pioneers committed three of their errors in the fifth inning and that led to three more OC runs, two of which scored on the miscues. When third baseman Tylia Sylestine threw away a ground ball by Eichler, Niki Davidson raced home with the decisive run that put OC ahead 11-3, invoking the run rule that ended the game.

Kaylie Upton (6-1) started and threw three innings to pick up the pitching win for OC. Madison Nordyke pitched the final two innings, after throwing the final 3 1/3 innings in the opener.

OC will return to action on Friday, when the Lady Eagles begin a three-game Heartland Conference series at Texas A&M International with a noon doubleheader.