SAN ANTONIO (Feb. 21, 2019) – Stymied for six innings by Oklahoma Christian freshman
Kali Crandall, St. Mary's (Texas) came up with a late rally, then used a five-run inning in the second game to sweep OC 2-1 and 7-3 on Thursday.
The Heartland Conference opening doubleheader pitted the two softball teams picked to finish first (St. Mary's) and second (OC) in the preseason poll and it lived up to that billing, with strong pitching and timely hitting on both sides. But it was St. Mary's (11-6, 2-0 Heartland) which got an early leg up on OC (12-3, 0-2) in the league race.
In the opener, Crandall (4-1) and St. Mary's ace Staci Johns (7-2) dueled all the way, each allowing only two hits. The Eagles broke a scoreless tie in the sixth inning when
Payton Sabolski reached on an error. Pinch-runner
Daelyn Denny stole second base, went to third on a sacrifice bunt by
Hunter Strickland and scored on a single to center field by
Brie Dunckel, who had both of the Eagles' hits.
Crandall took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before Abigale Carney led off with an infield single. Kristal Salinas reached on a fielder's choice when the Eagles tried and failed to retire pinch-runner Mikayla Briggs on a sacrifice attempt. Another sacrifice, by Taylor Germain, moved the runners to second and third before Crandall intentionally walked Jayme Johns to load the bases.
Alex Moreno tied the game with a sacrifice fly, scoring Briggs, before Bari Christian singled up the middle to score Salinas with the winning run for the Rattlers.
OC went ahead 1-0 in the fourth inning of game two when
Kaylie Upton walked and scored on a two-out single by
Sierra Schultz off St. Mary's starter Alex McLennan (2-1). But OC starter
Madison Hagood (5-2), who gave up only one hit in the first three innings, ran into trouble in the bottom of the fourth and the Rattlers struck, scoring five runs on six hits and an OC error.
Dunckel and Upton delivered RBI singles in the top of the fifth to pull the Eagles within 5-3, but OC left the bases loaded. St. Mary's added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the inning on a two-run double by Salinas.
OC will host St. Mary's for a three-game series on April 12-13.
The Eagles will head further south to Laredo, Texas, to face Texas A&M International for another Heartland doubleheader on Saturday.