SAN ANTONIO (May 2, 2019) – The adrenaline was flowing for Kali Crandall on Thursday afternoon, so much so the Oklahoma Christian freshman started the game uncharacteristically, by throwing three pitches outside the strike zone.

She quickly settled down, recovering to strike out that batter – Rogers State's Tailee Reding – looking and never looked back. The right-hander from Artesia, N.M., tied her career high with 12 strikeouts, and Bailey Strecker and Brie Dunckel each contributed a two-run single to lead the Eagles to a 6-0 win in the first round of the Heartland Conference Championship tournament at the St. Mary's Softball Field.

Second-seeded OC (36-14) – which debuted at No. 10 in the NCAA Division II South Central Region ranking a day before – beat the third-seeded Hillcats for the fifth time in six games this season, all in the last 15 days. The Eagles will face fourth-seeded Lubbock Christian (Texas) on Friday at noon in the tournament winner's bracket final.

"I was ready to play," Crandall said. "I was excited to go out there and compete and see what our team was going to look like. It's nice to know our defense is awesome, so if the ball is in the air, it's caught, and we're going to put up runs eventually. I have so much confidence in my team it's awesome."

Crandall (14-5) never gave the Hillcats much of a chance, even though she issued five walks, as she consistently came up with clutch strikeouts, recording at least one K in each inning. No Rogers State runner advanced past second base and the Hillcats (33-22) managed only a second-inning single up the middle by Jaylan Gibson and a sixth-inning single to left field by Mikayla Waggnor.

"It was hard for us to get our defense going and get in a rhythm because Kali wouldn't let them hit it," OC softball coach Shanon Hays said, wryly. "She did a good job of hitting her spots and keeping them off balance and that's tough to do when you play a team (six) times like we have. We came in with a good plan and she just followed the plan and made pitches. She made them in tough situations and we made some good plays when we needed it."

It took awhile for OC's bats to get going against the Heartland's pitcher of the year, Rogers State starter Andrea Morales (24-12), but eventually, the Eagles beat her for the fourth time in five matchups this season.

With one out in the fourth, Kaylie Upton singled up the middle and stole second base. With two outs, Kayla Eichler singled to left, scoring Upton, and Eichler took second base on the throw home. Morales hit Daelyn Denny with a pitch and both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch before Strecker brought them both home with a single to center field.

"We got up there with a plan," Strecker said. "We practiced this past week on that plan and we kind of knew how to attack them. We basically just stuck with that plan and it really showed in our offense."

In the fourth, Dunckel singled to left to lead off, and White delivered a one-out triple to left-center field to make it 4-0. An error and an infield single by Denny gave OC a pair of baserunners in the sixth and both scored on a single to center field by Dunckel, who went 3 for 4 to lead the Eagles' nine-hit attack.

"I was really thrilled with our offense today," Hays said. "Brie Dunckel was really good in the leadoff spot. She got on three times and drove in two big runs, and then, through the lineup, we had some key, timely hits. … It was a good day all around for us."

Lubbock Christian (31-17) won twice Thursday, beating fifth-seeded Texas A&M International 6-5 and top-seeded St. Mary's (Texas) 2-1 in eight innings. OC won the season series against the Chaparrals by a 3-2 count, winning two of three in Oklahoma City and splitting a doubleheader in Lubbock.

OC postgame press conference: https://youtu.be/OMd4QWvTuC8 

Game highlights: https://youtu.be/V8rBiR8wCs8