Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 OKLAHOMA CITY (April 14, 2018) – On what undoubtedly was one of the coldest days in Oklahoma Christian baseball history – with wind chills in the 20s and low 30s – Drew Wright gave the Eagles a warm feeling.

Wright's bases-loaded single in the bottom of the ninth capped a two-run rally to give OC a 4-3 win over Newman (Kan.) on Saturday afternoon at Dobson Field. Newman bounced back in the second game to win 10-3 and earn a split of the four-game Heartland Conference series.

The split kept OC (18-18, 8-8 Heartland) in fourth place in the league, just barely, as St. Edward's (Texas) moved into a tie for fourth by winning three games at St. Mary's (Texas). The top four teams in the league will qualify for the postseason tournament.

At noon, when the first game started, it was 39 degrees with a wind chill of 28 degrees thanks to a fierce northwest wind, but OC pitcher Gabe Rodery was sizzling. The sophomore left-hander from Verdigris fanned 11 batters – including five in a row in one stretch – and kept the Jets off-balance all day.

Garrett Wages singled to lead off the third inning and scored on a groundout by Jake Collins, and in the fourth, Chad Kennedy singled and scored on a double down the right-field line by Alex Garcia to make it 2-0.

That looked like it would be enough for Rodery, but Newman tied the game in the sixth. Brian Canfield doubled to lead off, Rodery hit Rene Rivera with a pitch and both eventually scored, Rivera doing so on a double by Tyler Push.

The scheduled seven-inning game went into extra innings and the Jets took a 3-2 lead in the ninth against OC reliever Garett Hill (2-2) when Ked Bailey's single to right field scored Push, who had led off with a single.

But OC answered in the bottom of the inning.  Newman stuck with starter Roger Wilson (2-4) and the decision backfired for the Jets as the first four OC batters reached base. Kennedy singled to center, pinch-hitter Slater Springman drew a walk and pinch-hitter Julien Ly loaded the bases with a bunt single.

Wilson walked Wages to bring home Kennedy with the tying run. Canfield then replaced Wilson on the mound and Wright – a sophomore from Midwest City – looped Canfield's first pitch over the head of Bailey, the center fielder, to score pinch-runner Connor Litterell with the winning run.

But as they did in the second game on Friday, the Jets started fast to put the Eagles in an early hole. Newman scored three runs in the first inning and four in the second – all but one of them unearned – against OC starter Robbie Suhr (4-3). Jacob Hanson greeted reliever Matthew Fusselman with a bases-loaded, wind-aided bloop single that scored three runs and finished the game with five RBIs.

OC managed single runs in the second, third and sixth innings against Newman starter Blake Thunberg (1-0), the latter on a solo home run by Garcia – his second homer of the series – but couldn't generate consistent offense.

The Eagles will host nonconference foe Southwestern Oklahoma State at 6 p.m. Tuesday before a key Heartland series at Dobson Field on Friday and Saturday against St. Edward's.