OKLAHOMA CITY (March 20, 2022) – Steady pitching and a trio of big offensive innings – thanks to home runs by Abi LaValley and Kylie Janzen – propelled Oklahoma Christian to a big doubleheader sweep on No. 23-ranked St. Mary's (Texas) on a sunny Sunday afternoon at Tom Heath Field.

LaValley's triple keyed a four-run second inning for OC in a 4-2 win in the first game and her first-inning grand slam, along with a pair of two-run homers by Janzen, allowed the Eagles to complete the sweep of the Rattlers with an 11-3 win in six innings.

Freshman pitcher Grace Anderson recorded her third and fourth saves of the season in relief of Kali Crandall (9-6) in the opener and Lindsey Stoeckel (3-0) in the second game.

OC (19-8, 8-4 Lone Star Conference) extended its winning streak to five games and moved into a four-way tie for fourth place in the LSC softball standings with St. Mary's (24-7, 8-4), which lost consecutive games for the first time this season. The Eagles also delayed what soon will be a landmark win for St. Mary's coach Donna Fields, who entered the day with 998 career wins.

The Eagles dropped out of the top 25 in the NCAA Division II coaches' poll two weeks ago and have been hanging out one spot outside the rankings ever since. After a 4-0 week, which include a sweep of a ranked foe, it would seem plausible OC might vault back into the top 25 in the next poll, which will be released Tuesday.

OC did all of its offensive damage in the first game in the second inning against St. Mary's starter Jaydn Abrego (3-4). Janzen walked and Aaliyah Brown singled ahead of LaValley's booming triple to right-center field. LaValley scored on a double by Stoeckel, which chased Abrego, and Stoeckel came home when Tristyn Hamilton singled up the middle with one out.

St. Mary's scored twice in the sixth off Crandall, with Jayme Johns singling home Cassidy Mageors, then scoring on a pair of OC errors later in the innings. Crandall ran into trouble again in the seventh, as the Rattlers put two baserunners on with two outs, before Anderson came on to strike out Victoria Aldridge to end the game.

The Rattlers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning of the second game, but OC jumped on previously unbeaten St. Mary's starter Catalina Cavazos (12-1) for five runs in the bottom of the inning. Brooklin Bain's RBI single scored Hannah Pate to tie the game before the Eagles loaded the bases. LaValley, a junior, followed with her first collegiate home run over the right-field wall to make it 5-1.

Ericka Gomez's two-run single to right field in the fourth inning pulled the Rattlers within 5-3, but Stoeckel – who finished with four strikeouts – escaped the inning without further damage and Anderson picked it up from there, allowing only two hits in two shutout innings.

Janzen hit her first homer to center field in the fifth, which extended OC's lead to 7-3 and ended the day of Cavazos, who gave up seven runs in 4 1/3 innings. Janzen ended the game with her second longball, which went over the right-center field fence and ended the game due to the run rule. It was the second multi-homer game of Janzen's collegiate career, with both coming against St. Mary's – her first was on March 21 of last season.

OC will host nonconference foe Southwest Baptist (Mo.) for a single game on Wednesday at 1 p.m. before two more LSC doubleheaders at home, against Midwestern State (Texas) on Friday and Texas Woman's next Sunday.