#2 Softball 3/27/2012 10:54:00 PM

OCU edges Oklahoma Christian 2-1, 7-5

Fourth-ranked Stars pick up pair of extra-inning wins

Lily LaVelle retired the first 20 batters she faced Tuesday.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University scraped its way to 2-1, 7-5 eight-inning wins over Oklahoma Christian on Tuesday at Lady Eagle Field in a battle of top 25-ranked NAIA softball squads.
Kylee Rounsaville pounded a two-run home run over the left-field fence in the top of the eighth of the second game, while Lily LaVelle had a perfect game through 6.2 innings of the first. The fourth-ranked Stars moved to 30-2, 7-1 in the Sooner Athletic Conference.
OCU ran its winning streak to 15 games dating back to loss March 6 to West Texas A&M, ranked second in NCAA Division II. No. 21 Oklahoma Christian dropped to 25-9, 6-6 in the SAC.
In the first game, LaVelle fanned 17 in eight innings while allowing one run on two hits. LaVelle struck out the first nine batters she faced, 13 out of the first 14 and 15 out of the first 17. LaVelle carried a perfect game until Davee Croy reached base on an error by Tori Joyner at shortstop with two out in the bottom of the seventh.
Kala Ratliff broke up LaVelle's no-hit attempt with one out in the eighth. LaVelle, a senior from Bridge Creek, Okla., won both games of the doubleheader to improve to 21-1 on the season.
In the top of the eighth, Joyner drove in pinch runner Chelsey Eddy with a base hit for the first run of the game. LaVelle nailed a fly ball to center field that Sarah Peoples failed to get to allow Joyner to score.
Michelle Miller had an RBI single in the bottom of the inning for Oklahoma Christian. LaVelle closed out the first game by getting Courtney Starr on a popout to the catcher Rounsaville in foul territory and striking out Megan Webb.
Joyner, a junior from Mustang, Okla., went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. LeeAnn Lopez had OCU's other hit off Oklahoma Christian's Ashley Paxton.
In the second game, Danielle Fox followed Rounsaville's dinger with a solo blast of her own to center, putting OCU up 7-4. In the bottom of the eighth, Croy led off with a double to score Peoples, who was second base per the international tiebreaker.
LaVelle set down Oklahoma Christian in order after that on three popups. LaVelle struck out five in 4.2 innings of the second game.
OCU erased a 3-2 deficit in the fifth. Jamie Rateliff tied the game with a sacrifice fly, then Rounsaville put the Stars in front with a base hit to left.
Starr led off the bottom of the seventh with a homer to center to force extra innings.
Lopez, a senior from Grand Prairie, Texas, went 3-for-3 and scored a run, while Fox, a sophomore from Yukon, Okla., was 2-for-4 with her first homer as a Star. Rounsaville, a sophomore from Yukon, Okla., went 2-for-3 with three RBIs.
Joyner and Magean De La Torre each were 2-for-5. OCU had 14 hits in the second game.
The Stars meet top-ranked Lubbock Christian (Texas) in a 2 p.m. twin bill Thursday in Lubbock, Texas.
Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore

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