KINGSVILLE, Texas (May 10, 2019) – Few outside Oklahoma Christian expected the Eagles to do much at the Division II South Central Regional, as evidenced by the No. 8 – i.e. bottom – seed given OC for its NCAA postseason debut.

But on what must be considered one of the most memorable days in OC softball history, the Eagles proved they belong in the discussion of top teams in the region, and maybe even all of Division II, by taking down two top-15 teams in stunning fashion in elimination games at Vernie and Blanche Hubert Field.

First, the Eagles rallied from four runs down, then thought they had lost before umpires upheld a ninth-inning appeal play, before beating No. 11 Colorado Mesa 6-4 in 10 innings. Not satisfied, OC trailed No. 10 West Texas A&M 3-0 before reeling off a five-run fourth inning and downing the Buffaloes 7-5.

That earned for OC (40-15) another matchup against Division II's No. 3-ranked team – and regional host – Texas A&M Kingsville. The Eagles will meet the Javelinas in the championship round starting at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, with OC needing two wins to take the regional and advance to next week's Super Regional. TAMUK (45-8), which beat OC 5-0 on Thursday before downing West Texas A&M 8-3 earlier Friday, needs just one win.

"It was a great day for us," OC coach Shanon Hays said. "Our girls really battled. I'm proud of them. … Everybody in our lineup did something well today. We defended well and that's what you have to do to beat two good teams. We'll have to play super tomorrow to beat a great Kingsville team, but we're grateful for the opportunity."

Kayla Eichler, one of six seniors on the first OC squad since 2014 to win 40 games, put it succinctly.

"We have a lot of seniors on our team this year and we're not ready to be done yet," she said. "We knew we needed to fight and that's what we did as a team. We put it all together as a team and did what we needed to do. It was incredible. We went from thinking that maybe, potentially, our season could be ending today to sending two teams home today and working together as a team. It was awesome."

Fifth-seeded Colorado Mesa (45-11) started OC's day of roller-coaster emotion by jumping to a 4-0 lead after three innings. But just when it appeared the Mavericks might run away with it, OC senior starting pitcher Madison Hagood locked them down for the next 2 2/3 innings and freshman Kali Crandall took it from there, combining to hold Colorado Mesa scoreless the final eight innings.

After managing just one hit through five innings against Colorado Mesa starter Kimbri Herring, OC rallied with three runs in the sixth, two scoring on a double to center field by senior Bridget White, who then scored on a double to center by sophomore Lindsey Stoeckel.

After Crandall wriggled out of a bases-loaded, two-out jam with a strikeout of Kellie Mrofcza to end the bottom of the sixth, the Eagles tied the game in the top of the seventh. Junior Brie Dunckel and senior Hunter Strickland singled with one out and senior Kaylie Upton delivered a sacrifice fly to score Dunckel.

In the bottom of the ninth, Colorado Mesa loaded the bases with one out on an infield single, a fielder's choice and an intentional walk. Kaila Jacobi hit a fly ball to center field that Strickland caught before rifling a throw home that nearly beat Lauren Wedman, the runner coming from third base. It didn't, but Hays appealed that Wedman had left third base before Strickland had caught the ball and umpires agreed, improbably ending the inning.

"I was right in line with it," Hays said. "I yelled at our catcher, Sierra (Schultz), to throw it (to third base), because she left, to me, obviously early and I think it was obvious to the umpires as well. She got a fantastic jump and our center fielder throws the ball well and Hunter put it on the money. It was fortunate for us, but I think we would have got her either way, if she would have left on time."

OC took full advantage of its new life. Upton and White reached on infield singles to start the top of the 10th and Stoeckel sacrificed them to third and second base, respectively.

Eichler, given new life after Jacobi, the Mavericks' catcher, dropped her foul popup, stroked a double to left-center field off Colorado Mesa ace McKenzie Surface (21-5) to score both baserunners, making it 6-4.

Crandall walked Colorado Mesa's leadoff batter in the 10th but retired the next three batters, the latter two on strikeouts. The Mavericks ended their season with four straight losses.

About an hour later, fourth-seeded West Texas A&M (32-14) – facing the Eagles for the first time since 2015 – jumped on Hagood for three first-inning runs, but again she settled down and made it into the fourth inning before giving way to Crandall (18-6).

The Buffaloes led 4-2 after drawing a bases-loaded walk in the fourth inning, but OC sent 11 batters to the plate in the bottom of the inning against West Texas A&M pitchers Kyra Lair (14-6) and Kourtney Coveney. Strickland, with only two RBIs this season, hit a run-scoring single and Upton followed with a sacrifice fly to tie the game before Eichler put the Eagles up for good at 6-4 with a two-run single to left field. Bailey Strecker drew a bases-loaded walk, making it 7-4.

West Texas A&M slugger Kylee Moore drilled her 17th home run of the season into the north wind and over the right-field wall in the sixth, but even that was fortunate for the Eagles, as the play before, the Buffaloes had lost a baserunner when Brittany Cruz was called out for leaving first base too early on a steal attempt – again after an appeal by Hays.

Crandall walked two batters with one out in the seventh before retiring the final two batters on fly balls to end the game.

"We had nothing to lose," she said. "We went out there and did our best and won. It was awesome to play as a team and compete and do our thing."

The wins Friday gave OC a 10-0 mark this season in neutral-site games.

OC postgame press conference: https://youtu.be/r5ISGRSClnY

Colorado Mesa postgame press conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVoPtb30__c

West Texas A&M postgame press conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91t6ntgAqRY