OKLAHOMA CITY (April 9, 2022) – For one day at least, the Oklahoma Christian baseball team that bashed 70 home runs last season made a return appearance at Dobson Field.

Aided by a gusty wind blowing out to left and center field, the Eagles slammed eight homers – including two each by Tanner White and Jaren Hill – to sweep a doubleheader from Texas-Permian Basin by scores of 6-5 and 17-11.

On his Senior Day, White hit a dramatic two-run walkoff longball in the seventh inning of the opener, then hit a grand slam during a seven-run fifth inning in the second game that provided enough cushion for the Eagles to hang on late against UTPB.

OC (17-23, 17-22 Lone Star Conference) is the LSC's hottest team, carrying a six-game win streak into Sunday's series finale against last-place UTPB (10-26, 9-26). The Eagles have moved into seventh place in the LSC standings, percentage points ahead of eighth-place Eastern New Mexico. OC is four games ahead of ninth-place Arkansas-Fort Smith in the win column, although UAFS has four games in hand. OC will host UAFS in two weeks for a four-game series. The top eight teams will make the LSC tournament.

In the opener, OC starting pitcher Jacob Mattox had eight strikeouts and carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning, but the Falcons' Gabe Melendez broke it up with a two-run home run and Oswaldo Godina hit a two-run double later in the inning to end Mattox's day.

Another OC senior, Cole Lee, hit a three-run homer to right field in the bottom of the fifth to pull the Eagles within 4-3 and senior Matthew Conerly's leadoff homer in the sixth – his second longball in as many days – pulled the Eagles even.

Garret Thornton's homer off OC reliever Matthew Shira (4-1) in the top of the seventh put the Falcons ahead again, but UTPB reliever Austin Parks (0-1) walked Grant Lake to start the bottom of the seventh before White's line-drive homer over the right-field wall won the game.

OC and UTPB combined for eight homers in the second game – five by the Eagles and three by the Falcons. Blake Empkey and Hill each hit a two-run shot during a five-run third-inning outburst that put OC ahead 7-2. The Eagles scored seven runs in the fifth, with Coleton Hinkle starting the inning with a solo homer and White hitting a grand slam to straightaway center field. It was the Eagles' fourth grand slam in their last three series.

Up 14-3, OC coach Lonny Cobble began subbing liberally before the Falcons made things interesting. Devin Ferrari and Cole Dickie each hit a two-run homer during a six-run sixth inning that pulled UTPB within 14-9. Another two-run homer by Hill and a RBI infield senior by senior Ryan Walden extended OC's cushion to 17-9.

The Falcons scored two runs in the top of the seventh and had the bases loaded, but OC reliever Andrew Alonzo hung on and finished out the game by coaxing a popup from Godina.

OC starter Kyle Higgins (2-3) pitched five innings, allowing three hits and three runs, to earn the win, while UTPB starter Cade Pollard (1-3) took the loss.

Nine OC seniors were honored during a ceremony between the games – Chase Berberich, Bob Britton, Conerly, Cody Johnson, Lee, Julien Ly, Mattox, Walden and White.

GAME 1 STATISTICS

GAME 2 STATISTICS