Box Score CLAREMORE, Okla. (April 27, 2017) – With the Heartland Conference regular-season softball championship now only a longshot possibility for Oklahoma Christian, the Lady Eagles' goal this week is to put themselves in the best position for the upcoming conference tournament.
They took a good first step toward that end Thursday night at the Diamond Sports Complex, using a four-run second inning and strong pitching by
Madison Hagood to win 7-2 over Rogers State.
OC (30-20, 12-7 Heartland) moved into sole possession of third place in the league standings by a half-game over St. Edward's (Texas) and Texas A&M International. A top-three finish would keep the Lady Eagles out of the play-in game between the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds at the Heartland tournament.
If OC can sweep Rogers State (27-23, 5-14) in a doubleheader starting at 5 p.m. Friday, the Lady Eagles would finish no lower than third, no matter the results of series this weekend between Lubbock Christian (Texas) and Texas A&M International or St. Mary's (Texas) and St. Edward's. Those four teams and OC entered the week within two games of each other in the league standings.
The win also clinched the third 30-win season for OC in the past four years.
The Lady Eagles jumped on Rogers State starter Mayra Helguera (2-2) for four runs and five hits in the second inning.
Bridget White started the rally with an infield single and
Kayla Eichler,
Kaylie Upton and
Lacey Davidson all followed with singles, with Davidson's hit scoring White. An error led to a second OC run.
After
Caitlin Young's sacrifice bunt,
Sheridan Bond's single up the middle scored Upton to make it 3-0.
Haley Squier's groundout brought home Davidson to make it 4-0. OC added single runs in the fifth (on a sacrifice fly by White) and sixth (on a RBI single by Bond) to make it 6-0.
Meanwhile, Hagood (15-9) was masterful through five innings, not allowing a Rogers State baserunner past second base. The Hillcats broke through against the sophomore left-hander in the sixth with four hits, but she limited the damage to only one run by coaxing a fly ball out of Mikayla Waggnor to end the inning.
Eichler hit a solo home run for OC in the top of the seventh and Kayla Patterson did the same for the Hillcats in the bottom of the seventh against Upton, who relieved Hagood in the circle.
