OKLAHOMA CITY (March 18, 2022) – A pair of huge first innings for Oklahoma Christian lifted the Eagles to a decisive doubleheader sweep of St. Edward's (Texas) on Friday at Tom Heath Field.

OC scored seven runs in its first at-bat in the opener and rode that lead all the way to a 7-4 win over the Hilltoppers, then topped that with an eight-run first-inning explosion in the second game en route to a 13-0 win.

OC (17-8, 6-4 Lone Star Conference) has won four of its last five softball games heading into a Sunday showdown with No. 23-ranked St. Mary's (Texas). OC is one spot out of the top 25 in the NCAA Division II coaches' poll and would figure to jump back into the rankings with a strong performance Sunday.

St. Edward's (13-13, 2-8) started pitcher McKenna Leamon in both games on Saturday and the result was the same – she walked three batters and gave up a single in the first game without recording an out, then walked four batters and gave up two singles in the second game without recording an out.

In the opener, Brooklin Bain and Abi LaValley each hit a run-scoring single in the first inning before Chloe Woodward delivered a two-run single to left field off reliever Cadie Bell Currie to make it 7-0. Currie pitched well, allowing only four hits in six innings of work. After the first inning, OC struggled to produce any more runs, with the Eagles stranding 11 baserunners.

OC pitcher Grace Anderson (7-2) cruised through six innings before running into trouble in the seventh, when she gave up five hits, including a solo home run to Alexis Massie and a two-run single to Maddy Larson that pulled the Hilltoppers within 7-4. But Anderson settled down to strike out pinch-hitter Katie Dillon and retired Valerie Brant on a foul popup to end the game.

Leamon (5-6) struggled to find the strike zone again the second game and again, the Eagles took advantage, sending 13 batters to the plate against her and reliever Renna Toome. LaValley and Bain each hit a two-run single during the inning, with Bain's hit not even leaving the infield but plating both Chloe Woodward and Tristyn Hamilton.

This time, the Eagles kept the gas pedal smashed down. Lindsey Stoeckel's RBI triple down the right-field line keyed a two-run second inning. Whitney Walde's double scored Hannah Pate to make it 11-0 in the third and freshman Kennedy Fisher's single to left-center field – in her first collegiate at-bat – scored Woodward as part of a two-run fourth inning.

Starter Kali Crandall (8-6) pitched three innings and allowed only two hits before giving way to Bain, who recorded four strikeouts in her two innings of work in the circle. Bain went 2 for 2 from the plate with three RBIs while Walde went 3 for 3 and drove in two runs.