OKLAHOMA CITY (Feb. 10, 2019) – Oklahoma Christian proved solid in two of the three aspects of softball on Sunday afternoon against Washburn (Kan.), and the Lady Eagles caught a considerable break in the third.

With its offense not producing, OC scored the decisive run on a dropped popup in the fifth inning en route to a 2-1 win over the Ichabods in the Raising Cain's Edmond Regional Festival I at Tom Heath Field. At 6-0, OC is off to its best start since beginning the 2003 season with seven wins.

Pitchers Kali Crandall and Madison Hagood combined to limit Washburn (2-6) to just one run, while the Lady Eagles didn't commit a fielding error. Those two things helped OC overcome its five-hit offensive performance.

"It was a good win," OC coach Shanon Hays said "It was a good pitching performance by Kali Crandall and Madison Hagood. They both came in and threw well.

"I thought showing a good-hitting team like Washburn two pitchers, giving them a different look, didn't give them time to adjust. Both girls came in and did their job and their defense was fairly solid, and so we won the game as a result, but obviously you'd like your bats to be better, but hopefully we'll come out and swing them better tomorrow."

OC went up 1-0 in the second inning. Lindsey Stoeckel singled to left field to start the inning, stole second base and scored on a single to left by Kayla Eichler. Washburn tied the game in the top of the third with textbook softball – leadoff hitter Sam Stallbaumer reached on an infield single, went to second base on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a single up the middle by Savannah Moore.

In the fifth, Payton Sabolski drew a leadoff walk and pinch-runner Sydney Smith took second on Hunter Strickland's sacrifice bunt. One out later, Kaylie Upton skied a popup in the infield, but shortstop Taylor Kirk couldn't hold onto it. Smith scooted around to score and give OC the lead.

Washburn threatened with a pair of two-out singles in the sixth, but the speedy Stallbaumer was thrown out on a close play at first base by second baseman Bridget White.

Hagood (2-0) allowed two hits in her three innings, striking out two batters and walking two. Crandall struck out three batters in four innings and allowed six hits. Raegen Hamm (2-4) took the loss for Washburn despite a strong performance of her own.

"Our girls are performing well and they're having fun," Hays said. "That's the main thing. The girls are having fun and gaining confidence. Even when you get ugly wins, it helps you gain confidence. We try not to worry too much about what we did in the past. We just try to worry about the next game."

OC will face Texas Woman's at 2 p.m. Monday before hosting No. 14-ranked Tarleton State (Texas) at 6 p.m. to wrap up the Festival.