OKLAHOMA CITY (April 22, 2022) – Fueled by Grant Lake's power and solid starting pitching, Oklahoma Christian took two gigantic steps toward postseason qualification on Friday against Arkansas-Fort Smith.

Lake homered three times – matching his season total before the day started – and Jacob Mattox and Will Rodman shined on the mound as the Eagles swept UAFS 12-3 and 7-2 in a doubleheader at Dobson Field, all but securing a spot for OC in the Lone Star Conference baseball tournament.

OC (21-26, 21-25 LSC) needs one win in two games on Saturday against Arkansas-Fort Smith (13-25, 13-25) to officially qualify for the eight-team LSC tournament field. It's quite likely the Eagles will be locked into seventh place in the regular-season standings, as Saturday's games will be their last LSC contests of the season while the league's other 12 teams all have one more four-game series remaining next week.

In the seven-inning opener, OC pitcher Jacob Mattox (3-3) pitched his second career complete game, both coming this season. The hard-throwing right-hander struck out a career-high 13 batters – the most in a single game this season by a LSC pitcher – and allowed only five hits.

The Lions led 3-2 before OC jumped on UAFS starter Brayden Johnson (2-4) for five runs in the fourth inning, with Tanner White hitting an RBI double and Michael DiFiore following with a run-scoring triple. Blake Empkey's two-run single keyed a three-run fifth inning for OC and Lake, a junior shortstop from McKinney, Texas, hit his first homer of the day – a solo shot – during a two-run sixth.

Kinner Brasher hit the first pitch from Rodman (4-6) in the second game (a nine-inning contest) over the left-field fence to put Arkansas-Fort Smith ahead, but the freshman right-hander settled down and allowed only four more hits and one more run while striking out five Lions in a six-inning stint.

Chance Westervelt, White and DiFiore each had a run-scoring hit in the bottom of the first inning off UAFS starter Dylan Rollins (2-4). Lake hit a solo home run in the second inning, DiFiore had another fifth and Lake capped the Eagles' scoring in the sixth with yet another longball.

The start time for Saturday's doubleheader has been moved up two hours to 11 a.m. due to rain forecast to begin falling in Oklahoma City on Saturday afternoon.

GAME 1 STATISTICS

GAME 2 STATISTICS