STEPHENVILLE, Texas (Feb. 28, 2020) – Four Oklahoma Christian batters smacked home runs and Michael DiFiore drove in five runs as the Eagles rolled past Tarleton State (Texas) 15-5 on Friday afternoon at the Cecil Ballow Complex.

OC (5-10, 5-10 Lone Star Conference) scored in every inning but one, rolling up 14 hits against four Tarleton State pitchers while taking the first of a four-game baseball series against the Texans. Kevin Collyar, Blake Empkey, DiFiore, Cole Lee, Austin McCain and Jayvien Joseph each had two hits for the Eagles.

DiFiore, a freshman from Lucas, Texas, hit a three-run homer off Tarleton State starter Justin Waltmon (2-2) that put the Eagles ahead 4-0 and they never trailed. DiFiore now has a team-high 13 RBIs on the season.

Tarleton State (8-7, 8-7) pulled within 5-3 with a three-run second inning, but Grant Lake hit a solo homer – his team-high fourth longball of the season – in the top of the third and OC tacked on four more runs in the fourth, on a two-run single by Empkey and a two-run double by DiFiore, making it 10-3.

Lee hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning and Joseph hit his first collegiate homer, a solo shot, in the ninth for OC.

OC senior starter Gabe Rodery (2-2) allowed three runs and struck out five in seven innings to pick up the pitching win.

The teams will play a pair of seven-inning games starting at 1 p.m. Saturday, with the nine-inning series finale set for Sunday at 1 p.m.