OKLAHOMA CITY (Feb. 27, 2022) – Oklahoma Christian's offense received the preseason headlines, but the Eagles' pitching staff has shown itself also capable of carrying the load, and a trio of OC hurlers did just that on Sunday against Texas A&M International.

Three OC pitchers – Andrew Alonzo, Matthew Shira and Will Rodman – combined to limit the Dustdevils to only eight hits and five runs in two games as the Eagles swept TAMIU 5-4 and 3-1 on the first baseball games played on Dobson Field's new artificial-turf infield.

OC (6-8, 6-8 Lone Star Conference) will go for a four-game series sweep on Monday, when the Eagles host TAMIU (5-10, 5-9) in another doubleheader that will start at noon. The series was rescheduled from the LSC's usual Friday-Saturday-Sunday format due to winter weather that gripped central Oklahoma most of this past week.

Alonzo had a shaky start in the opener, hitting one batter and walking two others in the first inning, then committing a throwing error in the second inning that led to another TAMIU run. But he settled down and allowed only one more run, that in the sixth inning, before giving way to Shira (1-1). At that point, the Dustdevils led 3-0 and OC's offense mostly had struggled against TAMIU starter Abanny Garcia.

But OC's bats came alive in the sixth, loading the bases with no outs on a single by Blake Empkey and two walks. Tanner White greeted reliever Andrew Pavon (0-1) with a RBI single and another run scored on a double-play groundout by Grant Lake, pulling the Eagles within 3-2.

TAMIU extended its lead to 4-2 in the top of the seventh with another unearned run, but the Eagles put together a dramatic rally in their final at-bat in the bottom of the inning. Pinch-hitter Jaren Hill singled to left field to lead off and Kevin Collyar's one-out single put a second runner on base. Empkey then drilled a pitch into the left-center field gap to tie the game.

Pavon recovered to strike out Coleton Hinkle before pinch-hitter Jayvien Joseph laced a single up the middle to score Empkey with the winning run before being mobbed by his teammates.

Rodman, a freshman right-hander, was the star of the second game, throwing 113 pitches and going 8 2/3 innings while allowing only two hits (both singles) and one walk, that issued to the final batter he faced. He retired 11 TAMIU batters to start the game and 11 straight again later in the game. The only run he surrendered came with two outs in the fourth inning, when Matt Kissamis hit a sharp single to left field, then scored when OC left fielder Tanner White dropped a fly ball by Antonio Buentello.

Chance Westervelt provided all the offense Rodman would need with a towering two-run home run in the first inning off Christopher Sauceda (1-2), which came after TAMIU first baseman Beto Cervantes whiffed on catching a foul popup by Westervelt.

OC added an insurance run in the fifth. Westervelt reached on an error and went to third base on a single by Michael DiFiore, who went 2 for 2 with two walks. DiFiore later got caught in a rundown while being picked off first base, but Westervelt scored as DiFiore was tagged for the second out.

After Rodman (1-2) walked Kissamis on a 3-2 pitch in the ninth inning, OC coach Lonny Cobble turned again to Shira, the Eagles' closer, and Shira retired Buentello on a groundout to end the game and record his first save of the season.