OKLAHOMA CITY—The Stars and the Lions of Nelson University played a make-up two-game series on Monday at Ann Lacy Stadium. OCU entered the contest with a 31-7 overall record for the 2025 season and a 19-5 Sooner Athletic Conference record. Both games were played tightly, and the Stars took control late in each contest. Timely home runs aided OCU in securing both victories.
Game One: Oklahoma City 3, Nelson 1
Top Performers
Tara Hoehner: 3-3, 2 R, 2B
Analise Rayburn: 1-2, R, 2 RBI, HR
The Stars and Lions struggled to tally a run in the first three innings during game one of Monday's doubleheader. Eventually, the offense for OCU struck first in the fourth inning.
Emersen Heron, who started the game for the Stars on the mound, broke the 0-0 gridlock with an RBI single to second base, scoring Tara Hoehner. As a pitcher, Heron faced adversity early and often as the Lions found success with getting on base. Ultimately, the Stars' ace navigated the traffic on base and escaped the Nelson threats until the fifth inning.
Nelson tied the game at one run apiece when Sasha Jennings singled to left field, scoring Cylee Panell.
Eventually, the Stars took the lead for good on a go-ahead home run by Rayburn, who added to her NAIA-leading RBI total (66). The home run by Rayburn scored Hoehner, who collected her second run scored in game one.
In the seventh inning, Heron sat down the Lions in order to seal the victory for the Stars.
Game 2: Oklahoma City 5, Nelson 4
Top Performers
Tiffany Paul: 2-4, R, RBI, GW HR
Morgandee Sawatzky: 4.0 IP, 2 K, 0 BB, 0 ER
In game two, OCU and Nelson played a back-and-forth affair. Brynlee Alsip started but was not able to establish her normal dominant control in the circle. Ultimately, the Stars overcame five defensive errors and won on a walk-off home run by Tiffany Paul.
The Stars took the lead early in the second inning when Kindalyn Miller singled to right field, scoring Heron. Following the RBI single by Miller, Carlee Mollett slashed a double to left field and drove in Rally Radacy from third base.
Nelson answered the Stars' scoring and took the lead in the top of the third inning. The Lions drove three runs in, starting with an RBI single by Madyson Wiggins. Avery Coleman then recorded an RBI single of her own, which drove two runs in for Nelson. Cadence Hopgood scored on the hit, and then Trista Ford came across home plate on a throwing error by OCU.
The game became a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the third inning when Rayburn smacked her second home run of the day. Nelson retook the lead in the fourth inning on SAC fly, but that lead was short-lived due to Grace Pollon tallying an RBI single that scored pinch-runner Joslynn Williams.
Freshman pitcher Morgandee Sawatzky relieved Alsip in the fourth inning and played a crucial role in the Stars collecting their 33rd win. The Arapaho native amassed four innings pitched while surrendering no free passes and three strikeouts with no runs allowed.
Paul led the bottom of the seventh inning off with a bang. The senior from Choctaw sent the game-winning walk-off home run over the wall in left center. Paul's walk-off solo shot was her 14th home run of the season and is now tied for third for RBIs in the country.
Next Up
Oklahoma City will host Oklahoma Panhandle State University for a doubleheader on Thursday at Ann Lacy Stadium. Game one will begin at 2 p.m., and game two is scheduled to start at 4 p.m.
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