OC softball completes 4-game sweep in Edmond Regional Festival

 

February 11, 2018



OKLAHOMA CITY (Feb. 9, 2018) – After a disappointing start to the softball season last weekend, Oklahoma Christian looked at this week's Edmond Regional Festival as a chance for a reset, coach Tom Heath said.

Consider that goal met. The Lady Eagles swept their four games in the festival, beating Southeastern Oklahoma State 3-1 and Washburn (Kan.) 8-0 on Friday at Tom Heath Field. OC (5-5) was the only team to go 4-0 in the festival that was co-hosted by OC and Central Oklahoma.

Coming off a 1-5 showing at the season-opening Southeastern Regional Invitational last weekend, the strong performance by the Lady Eagles was a positive sign, Heath said.

"We talked at the very beginning of the year that we were going to play for each other, not for ourselves," Heath said. "Everybody has been working from day one on that. We put it all together this weekend. … We're .500 now. I keep telling them, don't worry about the record. We've got to concentrate on playing well. But there's nothing like winning some ball games to build some confidence."

Much of what plagued the Lady Eagles in Durant appeared resolved this week. The Lady Eagles produced clutch hits, particularly Kayla Eichler (.417, with four doubles and five RBIs), Madison Nordyke (.400, five runs scored) and Bailey Strecker (.375, three doubles). Bridget White and Sheridan Fuller also had a pair of doubles.

In the circle, Madison Hagood looked sharp, recording a win and two saves, increasing her career save total to 11, breaking the school record formerly held by Shea Coats.

"It was a complete turnaround," he said. "We talked a lot about that. That tournament last week was not us. We didn't even look like we were doing what we should be doing. They went through the motions. They tried, but they just couldn't put it together. This weekend, playing at home, some good weather, we put it all together. Pitching and defense was outstanding and we hit the ball extremely well."

OC jumped on Southeastern (4-7) early, with Kaylie Upton's single scoring Nordyke in the first inning. The Savage Storm tied the game in the third, when Sydnee Hinkle doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Brittany Chatellier, but they didn't advance a runner past second base the rest of the game.

Upton singled and scored on a double by Eichler in the fourth to put OC ahead. Hagood relieved Nordyke (1-3) in the circle to start the sixth and threw two scoreless innings to earn the save. The Lady Eagles added an insurance run in the sixth thanks to consecutive doubles by Strecker and Eichler off Southeastern starter Emily Cudd (0-2).

The Lady Eagles used a pair of big innings to run-rule Washburn (6-2), the team that beat OC 7-4 a week earlier in the season opener for both teams.

In the third, Nordyke's two-run double to right-center field keyed a four-run inning, during which Strecker also doubled and Upton hit a run-scoring single. In the fifth, OC scored all of its runs with two outs, with just one hit – a two-run double to left field by Fuller. Washburn left fielder Emilee Baker dropped a fly ball by OC's Payton Sabolski, allowing two more runs to score to end the game.

Hagood (1-1) was dominant in the circle, allowing just four hits while recording her first shutout of the season.

"She's confident now," Heath said. "She is back to herself, I think. Winning a few ballgames like that just builds confidence in everybody."

The Lady Eagles will play a doubleheader at home Tuesday against Southwestern Oklahoma State, starting at 1 p.m.

 

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