OKLAHOMA CITY (March 12, 2021) – It's not often a softball team can give up eight runs in an inning and still win a game, but that was the scenario for Oklahoma Christian on Friday afternoon against Texas A&M International.

No. 10-ranked OC watched a seven-run lead wash away in the rain at Tom Heath Field, but then rallied from a 10-9 deficit thanks to two-out home runs by freshmen Brooklin Bain and Whitney Walde and stellar relief pitching by ace Kali Crandall. When it finally ended, the Eagles won 12-10 to complete a doubleheader sweep, having taken the opener 4-1 behind a complete-game performance from Crandall.

OC (14-2, 6-0 Lone Star Conference) has won eight straight in its series with TAMIU (8-7, 3-3) and seven straight this season heading into a Sunday showdown at home against No. 18 Texas A&M-Kingsville.

Crandall pitched superbly in the opener against TAMIU, striking out 10 batters and limiting the Dustdevils to four hits. Walde's first-inning single scored Katelyn Dunckel to put OC ahead and Kylie Janzen walked and scored in the second inning to make it 2-0.

Briana Arredondo's RBI single pulled the Dustdevils within 2-1 in the fourth inning, but Bain hit a run-scoring triple to right-center field in the fifth and then came home herself on a sacrifice fly by Dunckel. Bain earlier had doubled in the game off TAMIU starter Erika Cortez (4-4).

The second game included delays of 12 and 13 minutes as rain fell on and off. After a pair of three-run innings in the third and the fourth, OC led 9-2 and seemed to be on cruise control, even though the Eagles had stranded 10 runners at that point.

But rain started falling as TAMIU came to bat in the fifth, making it difficult for OC pitchers to grip the ball. TAMIU's first two batters singled off reliever Lindsey Stoeckel before Stoeckel and Bailey Turner – who started the game, then re-entered to relieve Stoeckel – combined to walk five straight batters before umpires called for a second rain delay.

After the delay, a groundout and two more singles – the latter by Kristy Alanis – put the Dustdevils ahead 10-9.

With two outs in the sixth inning, Bain hit a solo homer over the right field wall off TAMIU reliever Paige Sasser (1-2) to tie the game. Sasser then walked Dunckel before Walde homered, also to right field, to put the Eagles ahead.

That was enough for Crandall (9-1), who allowed only one hit and struck out two in 2 2/3 innings of relief. The sophomore right-hander now is tied for the conference lead in wins this season.

In the second game, Dunckel finished 3 for 4 with two runs scored four RBIs while Walde drove in three runs. Leadoff batter Brie Dunckel also went 3 for 4, scored twice and had two RBIs and Bain scored three runs.