CANYON, Texas (March 20, 2022) – No. 4-ranked West Texas A&M used a big fifth inning to rally from an early deficit and downed Oklahoma Christian 8-5 on Sunday in the finale of a four-game baseball series at Wilder Park.

West Texas A&M (22-4, 20-4 Lone Star Conference) took the final three games of the series after OC (8-20, 8-20) won the opener on Friday. Adam Becker, who hit two home runs, and Eric Ortiz each had a two-run shot during a four-run fifth that put the Buffaloes up 7-4.

Connor Jackson doubled and scored on Grant Lake's sacrifice fly in the seventh inning to pull OC within 7-5, but the Buffaloes answered with a run in the bottom of the inning.

In the ninth, Jaren Hill was hit by a pitch and Jackson walked, bringing the potential tying run to the plate with nobody out, but West Texas A&M reliever Brennan Berdon struck out Cole Lee. After surrendering an infield single to Lake to load the bases, Berdon then fanned both Chance Westervelt and Michael DiFiore to end the game. It was Berdon's first save of the season.

Becker's three-run homer in the first inning put the Buffaloes up 3-0, but Tanner White hit a two-run homer for OC in the fourth and Lake and DiFiore each contributed a run-scoring single in the top of the fifth to put the Eagles ahead 4-3.

OC reliever Andrew Alonzo (1-3) pitched four innings, striking out three batters and giving up four hits and four runs. Reliever Isaac Keehn (1-0) earned the pitching win for West Texas A&M.

OC will host Eastern New Mexico in a four-game series that will start Friday. The series will be the first at home for the Eagles since the installation of a new scoreboard at Dobson Field this past week.

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