Box Score AUSTIN, Texas (March 12, 2021) – Four home runs by four different players proved to be enough for Oklahoma Christian to win its baseball series opener at St. Edward's (Texas) on Friday afternoon.

Grant Lake, Blake Empkey, Kevin Collyar and Chance Westervelt drove in all of the Eagles' runs with homers as they won 6-4 over the Hilltoppers at Lucian-Hamilton Field.

OC (6-5, 5-5 Lone Star Conference) has won the opening game of all four of its LSC series this season in good part thanks to the pitching of ace Gabe Rodery (4-0). The senior left-hander threw seven innings, allowing six hits and four runs (three earned), before Jacob Mattox and Noah Bates shut down St. Edward's (4-6, 4-6) over the final two innings.

Morgan Allen put the Hilltoppers up 1-0 with a leadoff home run in the first inning. Lake tied the game with a leadoff shot in the top of the third. St. Edward's starter Blake Holub (1-2) hit Collyar with a pitch before Empkey put the Eagles ahead with a two-run homer.

St. Edward's retook the lead with three runs in the bottom of the inning, two on a second homer by Allen. Again, OC answered. In the fifth, Collyar hit a one-out solo homer to tie the game. Empkey then singled before Westervelt homered to put the Eagles up 6-4.

Rodery allowed only two baserunners over the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings before giving way to Mattox, who gave up two hits but pitched a scoreless eighth. Bates retired the Hilltoppers in order in the ninth to record his first save of the season.

OC will play the Hilltoppers on both Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m.