EDMOND, Okla. – A doubleheader can't get much closer than the one St. Edward's Softball played against Oklahoma Christian on Friday evening. The Hilltoppers took game one, 6-5, and the Eagles came back with a 4-3 victory in the second game at Tom Heath Field.
 
Game 1: St. Edward's 6, Oklahoma Christian 5
Oklahoma Christian (18-23, 10-7 HC) opened the scoring in the first inning with a run on a two-out, RBI-single by Niki Davidson.
 
St. Edward's (20-19, 10-7 HC) got the run back in the third inning. With two outs, the Hilltoppers got their own big hit. KACI OLSON ripped her first triple of the season to plate MEGAN HOFFMAN, and knot the score, 1-1.
 
The Hilltoppers broke the game open in the fifth inning when they pushed across five runs. An Eagle error scored the first two runs for the Hilltoppers, and MORGAN DUFOUR launched a three-run homer for the final blow to put the visitors ahead, 6-1.
 
Oklahoma Christian wouldn't die as they scored two runs in the sixth inning and another in the seventh. The game would end as Hilltopper starting pitcher LAUREN SLATTEN got a strikeout looking with runners on first and third.
 
Slatten (13-8) picked up the victory in the circle, allowing just two runs on seven hits while striking out 10 batters. It was her fourth double-digit strikeout game of the season.
 
ALEX MAYFIELD and NICOLE PARNELL led the Hilltoppers at the plate with two hits each.
 
Game 2: Oklahoma Christian 4, St. Edward's 3
The second game of the doubleheader was the exact opposite of game one. St. Edward's got on the board first as Dufour doubled home Hoffman in the third inning for an early 1-0 lead.
 
It was the Eagles that produced the big inning in this game as the home team scored four runs in the bottom of the third inning. Four hits and a walk helped Oklahoma Christian to the 4-1 advantage.
 
The Hilltoppers would not go down without a fight. They cut into the lead with a RBI-double by Dufour in the fifth. The sixth inning saw St. Edward's score another run but leave runners on second and third with two strikeouts to end the frame.
 
St. Edward's would go in order in the seventh, as the two teams will now look to Saturday's game as the deciding factor in this three-game series.
 
First pitch for Saturday's game is set for noon. Live stats will be available on the Hilltopper Athletic Website.