CLAREMORE, Okla. (April 26, 2019) – Kaylie Upton provided dramatic hits and Oklahoma Christian received some much-needed help from another Heartland Conference softball team, making it a good Friday all around for the Eagles.

Upton followed a second-inning home run by doubling and scoring in the top of the seventh, lifting the Eagles past Rogers State 4-3 at the Diamond Sports Complex.

Right before that game ended, St. Edward's (Texas) knocked off St. Mary's (Texas) 4-2 in San Antonio, giving OC (34-13, 18-10 Heartland) a one-game lead over St. Mary's (28-23, 17-11) entering the final day of the season.

OC will play a doubleheader at Rogers State (32-20, 16-12) starting at noon Saturday, while St. Mary's will host St. Edward's in a doubleheader that also will start at noon. Any combination of OC wins or St. Mary's losses that adds up to two will give the Eagles the outright regular-season title and the right to host next week's Heartland postseason tournament.

Should the teams end up tied, the tournament would be in San Antonio, as St. Mary's holds the tiebreaker over OC, based on head-to-head record. If OC and Rogers State end up tied, the Eagles hold the tiebreaker. In a three-way tie, St. Mary's would hold the tiebreaker over both OC and Rogers State.

Upton, a senior from Pauls Valley, began her Friday walking across stage in the Eagles' Nest in Oklahoma City during an OC graduation ceremony, then traveled with her teammates up Interstate 44 to face the Hillcats.

Tailee Reding greeted OC starting pitcher Lindsey Stoeckel with a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the first inning, but Upton tied the game in the top of the second with a leadoff home run off Rogers State starter Andrea Morales (23-11).

OC went up 3-1 in the fourth, with Bridget White's RBI double keying a two-run outburst. White's hit scored Brie Dunckel, who had reached on an infield single, and White scored on a sacrifice fly by Upton.

Two OC errors led to two Rogers State runs in the sixth inning, with Jaylan Gibson and Taylor Malett both scoring on double to left-center field by Bailey Killough. But Kali Crandall entered to pitch for OC and ended the threat by coaxing a popup from Sierra Skaggs and striking out Reding.

Upton led off the seventh with a double to right-center field and went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Crandall. Stoeckel singled through the left side of the infield to score Upton and give put OC ahead 4-3. Crandall (12-5) hit a batter with a pitch in the bottom of the seventh but didn't allow her to advance past first base, securing the win.