Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 WICHITA, Kan. (March 14, 2018) – Oklahoma Christian picked up two strong pitching performances on Wednesday at Newman (Kan.), but only one of them resulted in a win for the Lady Eagles.

Madison Nordyke allowed only four hits – none after the second inning – to lift OC to a 3-2 win in the opener at the NU Softball Field. Madison Hagood didn't allow an earned run in 6 1/3 innings of work in the second game, but three errors by OC proved costly as the Jets rallied for a 3-2 win to gain a split of the doubleheader.

OC (14-13, 5-5 Heartland Conference) managed only 11 hits during the two games while Newman (5-23, 2-11 had only nine, meaning defense would be key, and sure enough, miscues by both teams decided the games.

The Lady Eagles went up 1-0 in the top of the first, with Nordyke scoring on a single by Kaylie Upton. Newman's first two players recorded hits against Nordyke, with Taylor Mannis tripling down the right-field line and scoring on a single by Delaney Hiegert, who later scored herself on an error to put the Jets up 2-1.

Newman had two more hits in the second, but stranded both baserunners. Nordyke (3-5) then went into lockdown mode, allowing only one baserunner (on an error) over the final five innings.

OC tied the game in the third, as Caitlin Young drew a leadoff walk from Newman starter Nique Payne (3-9) and eventually scored on an error. In the fourth, OC took a 3-2 lead. Lacey Davidson singled and took second base when Mannis, Newman's left fielder, let the ball scoot away from her. Daelyn Denny followed with a double to left field to score Davidson.

Hagood (3-6) and Newman's Bailey Bugner (2-8) dueled in the circle in the second game, with Hagood allowing only five hits and Bugner six.  The Lady Eagles looked to have taken a 1-0 lead in the third inning, as Nordyke reached on a two-out infield single and appeared to score on a double by Bridget White, but an umpire ruled that Nordyke left first base early and called her out, negating the play.

OC finally broke through in the sixth inning. Sheridan Fuller led off the inning with a single up the middle and was at second base with two outs when Bailey Strecker singled to left field. Mannis again let the ball scoot past her, allowing Fuller to score and Strecker to reach third base. Newman catcher Hayden Francis tried to pick off Strecker but instead threw the ball into left field, allowing Strecker to score.

But the Lady Eagles couldn't take advantage of prosperity, as Newman quickly tied the game in the bottom of the sixth. With two runners on and one out, an error after a single by Emma Eck allowed one runner (Heigert) to score and two others to move up a base, from which Paige Wallace scored on a wild pitch to tie the game.

Newman's Hayden Francis reached on an error to start the bottom of the seventh and stole second base with one out. Mannis reached on another error that allowed Francis to cross the plate and give the Jets the win.

OC, which played at the northernmost Heartland school Wednesday, now must travel to the league's southernmost school – Texas A&M International in Laredo – to begin a three-game series on Friday.