BETHANY, Okla. – Oklahoma City University collected 10-2 and 5-0 wins over Southwestern Christian on Wednesday at the Southwestern Christian softball field.
Morgan McCallum and Brittany Perez hit home runs for OCU. The Stars, ranked No. 2 in the NAIA, improved to 44-4, 26-2 in the Sooner Athletic Conference.
Oklahoma City faces off against top-ranked USAO in a 5 p.m. twin bill Friday at Ann Lacy Stadium in a clash of the top two ranked teams in the NAIA. The defending national champion Drovers remain unbeaten on the season at 45-0 and have won 52 in a row.
USAO's 52-game winning streak equals the longest string over multiple seasons in NAIA softball history achieved by OCU from May 30, 2016 to April 18, 2017. The Drovers meet Bacone in a 2 p.m. doubleheader Thursday in Muskogee, Okla.
In the first game, the Stars built a 6-1 cushion with four runs in the second inning. Kennedy Jackson drove home two runs with a triple to right-center field. Jackson and Jaci Smith scored on an error.
McCallum hammered a solo shot beyond the left-field fence in the third for a 7-2 OCU lead.
Jackson, a sophomore from Moore, Okla., posted a 3-for-3 performance with four runs scored and two RBIs, while Smith, a senior from Godley, Texas, went 2-for-3, scored twice and knocked in two runs.
Jaden Shores, a senior from Blanchard, Okla., snagged the victory, going to 22-3 on the year. Shores struck out seven in six innings.
Perez launched a solo shot over the left-field fence for a 2-0 first-inning lead in the second game.
In the third, OCU added Bailey Whitmore's RBI base hit and Kylie Dodson drawing a bases-loaded walk to go up 5-0.
Julianne Abeloe, a senior from Santa Paula, Calif., had a 3-for-4 showing with two runs scored, while Shelby Riggs, a redshirt freshman from Binger, Okla., went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Jackson was 2-for-4 and reached home plate.Dodson, a freshman from Mustang, Okla., blanked Southwestern Christian on two hits and a walk. Dodson (22-1) fanned seven in seven innings. Dodson tallied her ninth shutout of the year.