OKLAHOMA CITY (April 5, 2019) – On a day when offense mostly came in fits and starts for Oklahoma Christian, freshman
Kevin Collyar provided the big blow in the Eagles' one big inning on Friday.
Collyar's second home run of the day, a two-run shot over the left-center field wall, capped a five-run seventh-inning outburst that lifted the Eagles to a 7-6 win over No. 10-ranked Lubbock Christian (Texas) at Dobson Field, ending the Chaparrals' 10-game winning streak.
Lubbock Christian won the opener 9-3 thanks in good part to a pair of two-run home runs by Hill Alexander. The decisive game of the three-game Heartland Conference series between Lubbock Christian (24-9, 7-1 Heartland) and OC (21-10, 5-3) is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday.
Alexander's third two-run homer of the day, in the top of the third inning, gave Lubbock Christian a 3-0 lead in the second game. OC freshman
Grant Lake hit his first collegiate homer, a solo shot to left-center field, in the bottom of the inning and added a run-scoring single in the fourth, but the Chaparrals led 6-2 after a two-run double by Ryan Rijo in the fifth inning.
OC reliever
Chase Berberich (3-1) entered the game to start the sixth inning and retired 12 Chaparrals in a row to end the game, giving the Eagles a chance to rally, which they did in the seventh. With one out, speedy
Hunter Markwardt beat out an infield single and
Callen Crockett followed with a single to right field.
Markwardt scored on a sacrifice fly by
Blake Empkey and Crockett scored on a double to center field by
Alex Garcia. Two wild pitches by Logan McCrummen brought home Garcia and Wages walked. Reagan Lucia (0-1) relieved McCrummen to face Collyar, whose two-run shot put the Eagles ahead.
In the opener, Alexander homered twice and Braden Hayward and James Hardberger each added a two-run homer for Lubbock Christian, while Collyar hit one in the sixth inning. Lubbock Christian starter Ryan Johnson (9-0) went the distance on the mound while OC starter
Gabe Rodery (5-1) took his first loss of the season.
