OKLAHOMA CITY (April 18, 2021) – If there were skeptics about how far this Oklahoma Christian baseball team has come this season, what the Eagles accomplished this weekend – and particularly on Sunday – should eliminate any doubt.

Combining solid pitching and timely hitting, OC completed a three-game series sweep of No. 24-ranked Texas-Tyler, downing the Patriots 11-6 and 8-4 in a doubleheader on a sunny Sunday at Dobson Field. It was the fourth Lone Star Conference series sweep this season for OC and the biggest such sweep by the Eagles in Lonny Cobble's nine seasons as coach.

OC (21-10, 18-9 LSC) has won 13 of its last 14 games and moved into a virtual third-place tie with Texas-Tyler (21-12, 20-10) in the league standings. The top four teams in the final regular-season standings will host a first-round LSC tournament series.

"I'm so happy for the boys," Cobble said. "That was an impressive performance against a really good ballclub."

The Eagles controlled Sunday's doubleheader throughout, trailing only for a couple of innings against a team that manhandled OC last season, winning three of four games at Dobson Field.

OC's second-game starting pitcher, Jacob Mattox (2-0), set the tone Sunday, retiring the first 10 batters he faced and taking a no-hitter into the fifth inning. He struck out seven in his five innings of work.

Chance Westervelt paced the Eagles' offense in the first game, going 5 for 5 with three RBIs and scoring three runs. His first-inning double down the right-field line off Texas-Tyler starter Nick Niebur (2-1) put OC ahead and his two-out single keyed a three-run outburst by the Eagles in the third. He capped that inning by scoring from second base on a wild pitch to make it 4-0.

OC led 5-4 before sending 11 batters to the plate and tacking on five runs against Texas-Tyler relievers Judson Schaper and Keith Long in the sixth inning. Jaren Hill, Blake Empkey, Westervelt and Coleton Hinkle each had a run-scoring hit.

Westervelt doubled and scored an insurance run in the eighth for the Eagles. Relief pitcher Ty Dudley pitched the final three innings for OC, allowing two runs on three hits while picking up his first save of the season.

Texas-Tyler took a 3-1 lead in the second game on a solo home run by Lukas Polanco, but the Patriots managed only one run the rest of the game against four OC pitchers. The Eagles shined defensively, turning four double plays, in the fourth, fifth, sixth and eighth innings to quell potential rallies.

The Eagles tied the game in unlikely fashion in the bottom of the third inning. Senior Errett Edwards, the designated hitter for OC, re-injured his shoulder while swinging and missing a pitch, so Hinkle took over for him, down 1-2 in the count. On the first pitch he saw from Texas-Tyler starter Nolan Cox, Hinkle delivered a two-run home run to right-center field.

The Patriots went ahead 4-3 in the top of the sixth on an infield single by Riley Jepson but OC quickly tied the game in the bottom of the inning when Michael DiFiore doubled and scored.

OC finally broke through with a big inning in the eighth, scoring four runs off reliever Matthew McMillan (2-1). Tanner White delivered a tiebreaking two-run single to right field and Hill and Kevin Collyar followed with run-scoring singles to blow the game open.

Using a string of pinch-hitters, Texas-Tyler loaded the bases in the ninth inning against Empkey, who moved from right field to the mound to close out the game, but Empkey fanned Kyle Hawkins to end the game.

Senior reliever Brent McDonald (1-0) pitched just one-third of an inning for the Eagles – escaping a bases-loaded jam in the eighth by coaxing a popup from Jordan Gochenhour – but picked up the win thanks to OC's offensive outburst in the bottom of the inning.

OC is scheduled to visit local rival Central Oklahoma for a nonconference game on Tuesday before visiting LSC rival Arkansas-Fort Smith for a three-game series that will begin with a doubleheader on Friday.

The Eagles' regular-season home finale will be April 27 against nonconference foe Southeastern Oklahoma State, then close the regular season for a series at LSC foe Lubbock Christian (Texas) on May 7-9.