DENTON, Texas (March 6, 2020) – In its first games as a ranked softball team in eight years, No. 18 Oklahoma Christian faced a workhorse pitcher from Texas Woman's who allowed the Eagles only two runs in 14 innings.

Fortunately for the Eagles, one of their pitchers, Kali Crandall, made those two runs stand up for a 2-0 win in the opening game of the doubleheader Friday at Dianne Baker Field. But OC – one of NCAA Division II's top offensive squads – was shut out for the first time all season in the second game, managing only five hits in a 1-0 loss.

OC (20-4, 5-1 Lone Star Conference) fell into third place in the league standings behind Tarleton State (6-0 in LSC play) and West Texas A&M (2-0).

"When you go on the road in the Lone Star, a split's not terrible, but I feel like we should have pushed across two or three (more runs)," OC coach Shanon Hays said. "We couldn't string anything together."

Bailey Turner threw every pitch for Texas Woman's (6-14, 1-5) – 207 of them over the two games – and OC didn't score against her during the final 11 innings of the doubleheader. Jaiden Johnson and Katelyn Dunckel had back-to-back hits in both the first and third innings of the opener to generate a pair of runs, but that was it.

Turner was particularly effective in the second game, striking out five Eagles looking, including two in the fourth inning, when the Eagles loaded the bases. OC put a runner on second base in both the fifth and sixth innings with one out, but Turner (4-10) retired the next two OC batters both times.

"She's a horse," Hays said of Turner. "I was surprised they'd only won five games with pitching like that."

As good at Turner was in the second game, Crandall (10-0) was better in the opener, scattering three hits (one of those coming on an infield popup that OC's fielders lost in the sun) and striking out seven batters while walking only one while pitching her sixth complete game of 2020.

Only twice did the Pioneers advance a runner to third base. The latter time, pinch-runner Krista Cuevas tried to score from second base on an infield single by Tatum Briggs, but Dunckel, OC's shortstop, threw Cuevas out at home plate for the final out of the game.

The Pioneers scored the only run of the second game against OC starter Lindsey Stoeckel (7-2), who had six strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. With two outs in the third inning, Tara Solomon singled to short left field, Paige Tamayo drew a walk and Sydney Johnson followed with a single up the middle to score Solomon.

"Early in the game, first inning, we hit two shots," Hays said. "We hit the ball overall harder than them; we just hit it right at them. Credit to (Turner). She threw a really good game."

OC will visit No. 14 Texas A&M-Commerce for a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Sunday.