CANYON, Texas (March 18, 2022) – Needing a big win to perhaps turn around their baseball season, Oklahoma Christian and Coleton Hinkle delivered in dramatic fashion on Friday at No. 4-ranked West Texas A&M.

OC led most of the way but twice blew the lead before Hinkle's solo home run in the top of the 10th inning gave the Eagles a 9-8 win over the Buffaloes at Wilder Park in the opener of a four-game Lone Star Conference series.

OC (8-17, 8-17 LSC) picked up only its second win in 10 all-time games against West Texas A&M (19-4, 17-4) and its first since the 2016 season. It was OC's second win this season against a ranked opponent, as the Eagles also won at then-No. 12 Angelo State (Texas) on March 19.

The Eagles received contributions from up and down the lineup on Friday. Slugger Michael DiFiore went 3 for 4 with a double, a home run and three RBIs, while Tanner White added three hits (including a double) and drove in four runs. Eight of OC's nine starters had at least one hit, giving the Eagles 14 hits overall.

DiFiore and White each hit a run-scoring double in the first inning as the Eagles jumped to a 3-0 lead and a solo homer by DiFiore made it 4-0 in the third. West Texas A&M drew a couple of bases-loaded walks in the bottom of the third and tied the game at 4-4.

DiFiore's RBI single put the Eagles up 5-4 in the top of the fifth but the Buffaloes again tied the game in the bottom of the inning and went up 6-5 on Ryan Johnson's RBI double to right-center field in the sixth.

The Eagles re-seized the lead in the top of the ninth inning. Grant Lake delivered a game-tying single to score Jaren Hill before White's two-out double to left-center put OC back ahead 8-6. The Buffaloes again answered, with Eric Ortiz's two-run double in the bottom of the ninth tying the game. OC closer Matt Shira (2-1) held on, though, and with the bases loaded with two outs, he retired Jacob Butler on a lineout to center field to end the West Texas A&M threat.

West Texas A&M reliever A.G. Ayala (2-1) quickly recorded one out in the 10th before White sent a pitch over the right-field wall, giving the Eagles a 9-8 lead. Shira hit the Buffaloes' leadoff batter in the bottom of the 10th, Kennedy Badgett, with a pitch but then coaxed a double-play ground ball from Adam Becker and retired pinch-hitter Glenn Noronha to end the game.

Will Fuenning went 4 for 4 for the Buffaloes, who had 11 hits.

OC and West Texas A&M will play a doubleheader on Saturday, with a pair of seven-inning games to start at 1 p.m., then will close the series with a nine-inning game on Sunday at 1 p.m.

BOXSCORE