SAN ANGELO, Texas (March 7, 2021) – As Oklahoma Christian did last softball season, it opened Lone Star Conference play in 2021 with a pair of doubleheader sweeps against ranked opponents – but this time, the Eagles did it away from home.

No. 11-ranked OC posted a pair of narrow wins Sunday at Mayer Field, rallying for a 4-2 win over No. 23 Angelo State (Texas) in the first game, then surviving without a hit for six innings before freshman Aaliyah Brown's pinch-hit sacrifice fly in the eighth inning and Kali Crandall's relief work in the circle gave the Eagles a 2-1 win in the second game.

OC (12-2, 4-0 LSC) is in a five-way tie for the conference lead, but the Eagles are the only team of that quintet that is 4-0 against ranked LSC opponents. The Eagles swept No. 25 Lubbock Christian (Texas) on Friday.

Angelo State (9-6, 1-3) led 2-0 after two innings in the first game, with the Rambelles' star, Courtney Barnhill, driving in the second run with a single off Crandall. OC answered with a three-run third inning against Angelo State starter Genesis Armendariz, with Brianna Robinson delivering the key blow, a two-run double to center field that scored Kylie Janzen and Katelyn Dunckel.

In the sixth inning, Abi LaValley provided OC with an insurance run when her double down the left-field line scored Daelyn Denny.

Crandall (7-1) went the distance in the circle for OC, overcoming seven walks by striking out six and allowing only four hits. Freshman Whitney Walde went 3 for 4 for the Eagles.

OC jumped ahead 1-0 in the top of the first inning of the second game, when Janzen walked, took second on a wild pitch then scored on a single by Dunckel. That proved to be the Eagles' last hit off Armendariz until the eighth inning and they managed only two baserunners during that stretch.

Still, OC pitcher Bailey Turner (3-1) held the line. Barnhill singled and scored in the third inning to tie the game, but Turner escaped bases-loaded jams in both the fourth and fifth innings without allowing another run.

The Eagles finally broke through against Armendariz (3-4) in the eighth, starting the inning with consecutive singles by Hannah Pate, Denny and Tristyn Hamilton. Pate got picked off, but Janzen walked to load the bases and Brown followed with her sacrifice fly to center field, which scored Denny.

Crandall pitched the bottom of the eighth and hit two batters and walked Barnhill to load the bases before retiring Ashlynn Box on an infield popup to end the game. It was Crandall's first save of the season.

OC will play its next two LSC doubleheaders at home, hosting Texas A&M International on Friday and No. 19 Texas A&M-Kingsville next Sunday.