OKLAHOMA CITY (March 5, 2022) – Two highly regarded softball teams, both desperate for a win after a disappointing start to Lone Star Conference play, each came away only partially satisfied during a windy doubleheader on Saturday at Tom Heath Field.
No. 18-ranked Oklahoma Christian took a 2-0 win over No. 6 Angelo State (Texas) in the opening game and nearly used a dramatic rally to secure the sweep, only to watch the Rambelles take advantage of a ninth-inning error to secure a 5-4 win in the second game.
OC (12-7, 1-3 LSC) suffered its sixth one-run loss of the season – including three in the span of about 32 hours – while Angelo State (16-4, 1-3) snapped a three-game losing skid after ripping to a 15-1 mark in pre-conference play. Angelo State's win was its first over OC in six opportunities since OC joined the LSC with the 2020 season.
Angelo State had struggled Friday in its conference-opening doubleheader at Cameron, managing only one run, and OC pitchers
Lindsey Stoeckel (2-0) and
Kali Crandall continued the Rambelles' offensive misery in the opener.
Stoeckel, a surprise starter who had pitched only nine innings this season, escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first inning (she walked the bases loaded) and threw four scoreless innings. Crandall, OC's ace, entered the game to start the fifth inning and allowed only one hit while striking out four to pick up her second save.
OC was able to scratch out a pair of runs against Angelo State's ace, Genesis Armendariz.
Kylie Janzen drew a one-out walk in the second inning, stole second base and scored on a double to left field by
Grace Anderson. In the third,
Brooklin Bain tripled to right-center field and a relay throw by Angelo State second baseman Ashlyn Lerma sailed into the OC dugout and umpires awarded Bain home plate, making it 2-0.
Angelo State tried to rally in the seventh inning, putting its first two runners on base, but Crandall escaped the jam with a pair of ground balls and a strikeout.
Bain singled and scored in the fourth inning of the second game to put the Eagles up 1-0 before Angelo State broke out of its offensive funk against OC starter
Grace Anderson. Anderson hadn't allowed a hit until a leadoff bunt single by Haylie Mitchell, and after Lerma singled, Crandall entered the game in relief in the circle.
Lindsey Evans' infield single loaded the bases and a bloop single to right field by Paxton Scheurer drove in two runs. An error led to a third run for the Rambelles, and another error in the top of the sixth resulted in a fourth run. But just when it appeared Angelo State might run away, the Eagles responded.
After pinch-hitter
Rebeca Fajardo drew a walk to lead off the bottom of the sixth, Bain's blooper into right field fell right in front of right fielder Maleya Burns, who threw out pinch-runner
Rian Gamble – who had had to hold up, waiting to see if the ball would be caught by a defender – at second base. Still, Bain took second base on
Whitney Walde's single up the middle, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a groundout by
Kylie Janzen off Armendariz, who entered in relief in the inning.
With one out in the bottom of the seventh,
Chloe Woodward – who had four hits in the doubleheader after having only two the rest of the season – doubled to left-center field and pinch-hitter
Aaliyah Brown drew a walk.
Hannah Pate hit into a fielder's choice grounder (with Woodward retired) before Stoeckel reached on an infield single that went off Armendariz's glove, loading the bases.
Bain blooped a single into short right field, scoring two runs and tying the game. Walde nearly ended the game one batter later, as her blast to right field was held up by a stiff north wind just a few feet from the wall.
Armendariz (8-3) settled down and retired the Eagles in order in the eighth and ninth innings. In the top of the ninth, Scheurer singled off Crandall (6-5) with one out and scored on a dropped fly ball with two outs. Crandall struck out six batters and didn't allow an earned run in five innings of work.
OC will be on the LSC road next week, with doubleheaders on Friday at Texas A&M International and March 14 at Texas A&M-Kingsville. The Eagles' next home games will be on March 19 against St. Edward's (Texas).
