OKLAHOMA CITY (March 16, 2019) – It took a few innings for Oklahoma Christian's offense to get going on Saturday afternoon against Newman (Kan.), but once it did, the Eagles put on a show.
Every OC batter recorded at least one hit and all but one scored at least once as OC rolled to a 14-4 win over the Jets at Dobson Field in the rubber game of the three-game series between the Heartland Conference rivals.
Five players had two hits for OC (14-5), which entered the game ranked sixth in the South Central Region. Among them were No. 9-hole hitter
Berry Hunt, who went 2 for 2 with three RBIs and three runs scored;
Alex Garcia, who had three RBIs; and
Callen Crockett, who tied a Heartland Conference record by being hit by three pitches and scored four runs.
Newman (11-8) scored twice in the third inning and once in the fourth off OC starter
Zachary Pape (3-1), but he hung on to finish the fifth inning and his teammates rewarded him with the lead, and, eventually, the pitching win.
OC took a 6-3 lead with a four-run fourth inning, keyed by a two-run single by Crockett off Newman starter Zack Erdman (2-1) and a two-run double by
Errett Edwards off reliever Trey Tucker.
The Eagles broke the game open by sending 11 batters to the plate during a seven-run sixth inning, during which
Blake Empkey, Garcia and
Kevin Collyar had run-scoring hits. Hunt capped the outburst with a three-run double down the left-field line that put OC up 13-3.
The Jets scratched out a run in the top of the seventh inning, but OC answered in the bottom of the inning. Newman reliever Aaron Stramel hit Crockett with a pitch, then walked Empkey and Edwards to load the bases before Garcia hit a towering sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Crockett with the run that triggered the 10-run rule and ended the game.
The series won't count in the Heartland standings, as the teams are scheduled to play another three-game series later this season in Wichita, Kan.
OC will visit Emporia State (Kan.) on Tuesday for a nonconference doubleheader before heading south to Austin, Texas, to open Heartland play on Friday with a doubleheader at St. Edward's.
