OKLAHOMA CITY (April 8, 2022) – After a run-rule, 9-0 win in its opening softball game on Friday against Texas-Permian Basin, No. 20-ranked Oklahoma Christian might have been caught off guard by UTPB making the second game a taut, tense battle.

But the Eagles had enough moxie to pull out a 2-1 win over UTPB to complete the doubleheader sweep at Tom Heath Field, thanks to clutch hits by Aaliyah Brown and Kylie Janzen. The two victories extended OC's winning streak to 16 games, matching the school record set last season. It's the second-longest active streak in NCAA Division II, behind only Colorado Christian's 19-game run.

More importantly, OC (30-8, 18-4 Lone Star Conference) remained tied atop the LSC standings, but now with only one team – No. 1-ranked Texas-Tyler, which swept a doubleheader from St. Mary's (Texas). Two other teams that entered the day tied for the lead, Lubbock Christian (Texas) and Texas A&M-Commerce, split their doubleheaders with Texas A&M-Kingsville and St. Edward's (Texas), respectively, and fell a game back.

OC made quick work of UTPB (17-26, 4-18) in the opener. The Eagles scored three runs in the first inning off the Falcons' starter, Becky Berth (3-9), two on a single by Janzen. Janzen hit another RBI single in the third inning and Chloe Woodward's two-run single extended OC's lead to 6-0. Brown's two-run double keyed a three-run fourth inning that made it 9-0.

OC starter Kali Crandall (13-6) allowed only one hit and struck out four batters in three innings, while Brooklin Bain pitched two innings in relief, giving up only hit and recording three strikeouts.

The second game turned into a duel between starting pitchers, OC's Grace Anderson and UTPB's Destini Trahan. Bain led off the game with a double to left-center field and scored on a single by the next batter, Hannah Pate, but Trahan (7-10) then stifled the Eagles until the sixth inning.

Melayna Lopez's RBI single off Anderson in the fourth inning tied the game, but that was one of only two hits surrendered by the freshman right-hander before she gave way to senior Lindsey Stoeckel to open the fifth inning. Stoeckel (7-0) pitched three scoreless innings, buying time for the Eagles to produce another run.

It came in the sixth inning. Brown led off with a double to left field. Tristyn Hamilton pinch-ran for Brown and advanced to third base on a fly ball by Abi LaValley before Janzen hit a ground-rule double to center field, scoring Hamilton with the tiebreaking run.

UTPB threated in the seventh. An error allowed the Falcons' leadoff runner, Ashlynn Bradley, to reach first base, and she moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt. Cheyenne Marquez followed with a ground ball to Bain, OC's third baseman, who threw out Marquez at first base. Bradley, trying to advance on the play, overslid third base and the Eagles tagged her out to end the game.

OC will host LSC rival Western New Mexico (5-31, 2-20) in a doubleheader at noon on Sunday, seeking to break the program record for consecutive wins.