Oklahoma City, Okla. - The Eagles opened a series with the St. Mary's Rattlers at Dobson Field this afternoon with a doubleheader.
 
Game 1: STMU 4, OC 2
 
St. Mary's got on the board in the top of the first with an RBI single to left field after a leadoff single and a groundout advanced the base runner into scoring position.
 
Blake Empkey didn't wait long to get the Eagles on the board, and in the bottom of the first, Empkey got an RBI on a groundout that scored Connor Jackson. Jackson reached earlier in the inning with a double to left center to lead off the inning and advanced to third base on a Preston King groundout.
 
The Rattlers got their leadoff man on, advanced him on a sacrifice bunt, and scored him on an RBI single to take a 2-1 lead in the top of the second.
 
Neither team scored in the third, although Michael DiFiore did reach base on a single in the inning.
 
Oklahoma Christian tied the game in the bottom of the fourth on a Marcus Johnson home run, his first of the season, and tied him for the team lead in RBIs with seven.
 
The STMU starting pitcher, Clay Bradford, gave up the home run in the bottom of the fourth but responded with a two-run home run in the top of the fifth to give the Rattlers a 4-2 lead.
 
The home run would go on to be the difference, and St. Mary's took game one, 4-2.
 
Game 2: STMU 6, OC 5
 
In game two, STMU scored three runs in the second inning on an RBI double and two RBI singles to take a 3-0 lead early on.
 
Hank Heiselbetz, making his third start of the season, responded in the bottom half by putting OC on the board with an RBI single of his own.
 
Nathan Kwan struck out two batters in the third pick up a couple of Ks for his line. But in the 4th, a 2 RBI single gave STMU a 5-1 lead and ended Kwan's day.
 
Jayden Saylor came on in to make his second appearance of the season and shut down the Rattlers in 3.1 innings pitch, allowing only one hit and striking out five.
 
Two singles in the 5th, including an RBI single from Blake Empkey, cut the St. Mary's lead in half as the Eagles started to rally. And Oklahoma Christian tied it up in the 5th with a Connor Jackson RBI groundout and Heiselbetz scoring on a wild pitch.
 
The teams shut each other down in the 7th and 8th. But in the top of the 9th, STMU took the lead on an RBI single and held on to win 6-5.
 
Up Next
 
The Eagles will be back at Dobson Field tomorrow at noon for another doubleheader as they look to split the series with the Rattlers.