OKLAHOMA CITY (May 14, 2021) – Fortunately for No. 4-ranked Oklahoma Christian, there will be a tomorrow on the softball field, but unfortunately, it won't be in the Lone Star Conference Championship tournament title game.

No. 12-ranked West Texas A&M broke through against the Eagles' bullpen with four runs in the final two innings as the Buffaloes won 5-1 in the LSC semifinals on Friday night at Tom Heath Field, ending top-seeded OC's hopes of winning consecutive conference tournaments.

Fourth-seeded West Texas A&M (34-10) advanced to play second-seeded Angelo State (Texas) in Saturday's title game, with the winner receiving the LSC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II tournament. West Texas A&M hasn't lost since being swept in a doubleheader at OC in April 11, with the Buffaloes' winning streak now at 12 games.

OC (37-7) will await the announcement of the Division II tournament pairings at 9 p.m. Sunday, with the Eagles hoping they have already done enough to secure the No. 1 seed in the South Central Regional, which will begin on Wednesday in Commerce, Texas. OC topped the most recent regional ranking, released Wednesday.

Madison Johnson hit her seventh home run of the season, a solo shot that curled just inside the left-field foul pole, off OC starter Kali Crandall in the second inning to put West Texas A&M ahead. Crandall, who leads Division II with 24 pitching wins, exited the game after the inning and didn't return, with the Eagles' bullpen going the rest of the way.

OC, which had only five hits, tied the game in the third against West Texas A&M starter Emilee Wilson (12-5) when Katelyn Dunckel's double to left-center field brought home Tristyn Hamilton, who had reach on an error.

OC freshman Brooklin Bain (0-1), who entered the game having pitched only 4 1/3 innings all season, escaped a jam in the fifth after West Texas A&M's Hailey Niera tripled with two outs. Bain came in and retired West Texas A&M star Shanna McBroom on a groundout.

In the sixth, though, the Buffaloes put runners on second and third base with two outs before Johnson's single to left field scored Alyx Cordell. Lauren King relieved Bain and the Eagles survived the rest of the inning without any further damage, as the Buffaloes left the bases loaded.

Dunckel just missed tying the game in the bottom of the sixth on a deep blast that West Texas A&M center fielder Ruby Salzman caught at the wall. Salzman contributed a two-run double in the top of the seventh inning as the Buffaloes scored three more times to extend their lead.

OC loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh on a single by Karrah Dean and a pair of two-out walks, but West Texas A&M reliever Kyra Lair retired Kylie Janzen on a popup to end the game. Lair recorded her second save of the season.

The Eagles finished with a 22-3 home record this season.