OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University scraped past Oklahoma Baptist 6-5 on Thursday at Jim Wade Stadium in a blockbuster matchup of top-five ranked teams in NAIA baseball.

Miguel Beltran and Kirk Walker hammered home runs, while Mark Purser's RBI double accounted for the eventual winning run for the top-ranked Stars. OCU moved to 28-3, 17-0 in the Sooner Athletic Conference, while fourth-ranked Oklahoma Baptist fell to 26-6, 11-2 in the SAC.

Dearth Parker nailed an RBI single to right-center field, then Purser belted a run-scoring double to the left-field corner to put OCU ahead 6-3 in the sixth inning.

Walker led off the fourth by reaching on a hit by pitch. After a flyout, Beltran socked an 0-1 pitch over the right-field wall for a two-run homer that broke a 1-1 tie. The Stars then took advantage of three OBU errors to score again.

Chad Carman reached on an error, then pinch runner Terrance Jackson stole second base and got to third on an errant throw by the catcher into center field. Jackson scored when Parker grounded into an error as OCU led 4-1.

Walker brought in OCU's first run by homering to right on a full count in the first.

Brendan Davis' sacrifice fly scored an Oklahoma Baptist run in the seventh, then Michael Sliger's pinch-hit RBI double cut OBU's deficit to 6-5 in the eighth. With one out in the eighth, OBU's Jake Kiebke advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. Zac Tidholm ended the Bison threat by getting Terrence Buchanan to ground out to third.

In the ninth, Rich Hawkins responded after putting the lead-off man on with a walk. Hawkins retired Davis on a fly ball, then notched two strikeouts to sew up the Stars' triumph and his first save of the year.

Corey Theriot moved to 8-0 on the year. Theriot, a senior from Iowa, La., fanned four in six innings in a 115-pitch outing.

Beltran, a junior from Long Beach, Calif., went 2-for-4, scored twice and drove in two runs, while Walker, a senior from Bakersfield, Calif., was 1-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI for OCU. Beltran had his eighth homer of the year, and Walker homered for the fourth time this season. Walker's three at-bats tied OCU's all-time record for at-bats. He and Matt Dehner (1996-99) each have 786 career at-bats with OCU.

Parker, a senior from Roff, Okla., went 1-for-2 with an RBI, and Purser, a senior from Spokane, Wash., was 1-for-3 with an RBI for the Stars.