CLAREMORE, Okla. - The Oklahoma City softball team went on the road and collected a pair of victories in Tuesday's midweek doubleheader contest against NCAA Division II Rogers State who is ranked No. 8 overall.
#2 Oklahoma City 5 - #8 (D2) Rogers State 4
The Stars improved to 39-2 overall, winning its 20th game in a row as Rogers State fell to 36-9 overall.
The first game began as a pitcher's duel with both teams being kept off the scoreboard through four innings. Kaitlyn Jones got OCU started with a one-out triple to right field in the fifth inning, her second triple of the year.
Oklahoma City had one more left in the fifth inning as BaileighLoux drove in Jones on a sacrifice fly ball to right.
OCU tacked on one more in the following frame as Amy Crabaugh extended the Stars lead out to 3-0 with her fourth home of the season.
Shelbey Cornelson coasted through the first five innings holding the Hillcats to just one hit before Rogers State plated its first run of the game in the bottom of the sixth as Ashtyn Barrett put the Hillcats on the board with a solo home run to left field.
Oklahoma City picked up two more insurance runs in the seventh with Emersen Heron drawing a bases-loaded walk before freshman Tara Hoehner drove in Kamryn Garvie with a sac fly to to take a 5-1 lead.
The insurance runs for Oklahoma City came in handy as a Hillcat rally began. Rogers State scored two runs on a fielder's choice and then with two outs in the inning they made it a one-run game on a double to left center. Now just a one-run ball game, Cornelson got the following batter to pop up to the Stars second basemen Iliana Ashford to end the game and secure the 5-4 victory
Oklahoma City scored five runs on 10 hits while Rogers State scored four runs on six hits. The Stars were highlighted by Kaitlyn Jones who put together a game-high three-hit showing while scoring twice and driving in one.
Amy Crabaugh Kamryn Garvie joined Jones as the two other Stars to collect multiple base knocks as Crabaugh launched her fourth home run of the year, tying last year's total.
Garvie went 2-for-2 in game one with a walk and came around to score for the fourth straight game and the 48th time this year.
Shlebey Cornelson got off to a stellar start inside the circle holding Rogers State hitless through three and with just one hit through five. Cornelson earned the win improving her record to 17-2 after allowing four runs on six hits, while walking five and striking out five in her 16th complete game of the year.
#2 Oklahoma City 1 - #8 (D2) Rogers State 0
With the win, No. 2 Oklahoma City improved to 40-2 overall, moving its win streak to 21 straight games as No. 8 Rogers State dropped to 36-10 overall.
The day's second game against Rogers State was another true pitcher's duel, with Emersen Heron limiting Rogers State to three hits and kept the Hillcats off the board for the second time this season. Heron improved to 18-0 on the year after tossing her third shutout of the season while striking out two.
Amy Crabaugh delivered in the clutch in the second inning providing the game's only run with an RBI single up the middle that scored Baileigh Loux.
Kamryn Garvie, BaileighLoux, and Tiffany Paul joined Crabaugh as the Stars grouping to clinch a hit tonight as Crabaugh came up with her 21st RBI of the year.
The Stars scored their one run on four hits while Rogers State was held without a run and notched three hits. Neither team collected an extra-base hit.
Tuesday's games were the first these two schools met since 2017 as the Stars have put together a four-game winning streak over the Hillcats.
Oklahoma City will jump back into conference play this weekend against Texas Wesleyan Apr. 19-20 with a doubleheader starting on Friday at 5 and 7 PM followed by another two-game day on Saturday at 12 & 2.
