OKLAHOMA CITY (March 7, 2020) – It took Oklahoma Christian until its final time at bat in both baseball games on Saturday to assert control against Arkansas-Fort Smith, but the Eagles made the wait worth it.

The Eagles used a pair of sixth-inning rallies to sweep UAFS 5-4 and 4-1 in a doubleheader at Dobson Field, with Jordan Kennedy delivering a two-run home run in game one and Jaren Hill another in game two. It was the first doubleheader sweep for OC since last April 12, when the Eagles won two games at Newman (Kan.).

OC (8-13, 8-13 Lone Star Conference) gained ground on the five teams immediately ahead of them in the league standings and can earn their first home series win on Sunday at 1 p.m. against UAFS (13-8, 13-8). At worst, the Eagles are guaranteed of a series split against a UAFS team ranked seventh in the South Central Region.

In game one, the Lions took a 4-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning against UAFS starter Brayden Johnson (1-1), who had limited OC to six hits to that point.

Grant Lake drew a walk to lead off and one out later, Kennedy homered to center field to pull the Eagles within 4-3. Hill followed with a double to right-center, and with two outs, Julien Ly tripled to right-center to tie the game. Cameron Highfill relieved Johnson for the Lions, but he surrendered a double to Jayvien Joseph that scored Ly and put the Eagles ahead.

Arkansas-Fort Smith put two runners on base with one out in the top of the seventh against OC reliever Noah Bates, but Bates rallied to retire a pair of pinch-hitters to end the game and pick up his first save. Nathan James (1-0) picked up the pitching win for OC after recording the final out in the top of the sixth, extinguishing another UAFS threat.

The second game proved to be a pitchers' duel between the Lions' Trevor Johnson (1-2) and OC's Ty Dudley (1-1). Errett Edwards hit the first pitch of the game over the left-field wall to put the Eagles ahead, but Arkansas-Fort Smith's leadoff batter, Morgan Crenshaw, answered with a leadoff homer in the fourth to tie the game.

Dudley wriggled out of bases-loaded jams in both the fifth and sixth innings, striking out Brooks Sunny and Logan Easley to finish the latter inning.

Lake beat out an infield single with one out in the bottom of the sixth and Michael DiFiore followed with a single to right field that sent Lake to third base. Kennedy's fielder's-choice grounder scored Lake to give the Eagles a 2-1 lead and Hill then launched a no-doubt home run over the left-field fence.

Dudley allowed only a single to Cash Balentine in the top of the seventh and finished off the first complete game this season by an OC pitcher. The sophomore from Edmond scattered five hits while striking out eight batters.