Oklahoma City, Okla. -- The Mid-America Christian Evangels dropped a heartbreaker in the rubber game of the series against the No. 3-ranked Oklahoma City Stars, 10-9 in 10 innings in a Sooner Athletic Conference showdown Saturday afternoon at Evangel Field in OKC. 

MACU was bidding to hand the third-ranked Stars their first conference series loss of the season.

The Evangels had the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth with the score tied at 9-9 with Luis Martinez at the plate, who had gone 3-of-4 with two RBI heading into the at-bat. 

But OCU reliever Rich Hawkins got Martinez to bounce back to the mound for a double play to end the threat and send the game into extra innings. 

The Stars then took advantage of a wild throw on a potential inning-ending double play to score the go-ahead tally in the 10th inning. 

David Rhoads singled to lead off the bottom of the 10th and represented the tying run at first base, but was picked off.  Hawkins then retired the next two batters to finish off the win. 

Hawkins pitched well in 2 1/3 scoreless innings for the Stars to get the win. 

The Evangels trailed 9-8 heading into the bottom of the eighth when Jose Flores doubled home Eridani Dume to knot the score. 

Martinez scored and drove in a run to help the Evangels get off to a quick start and lead 4-1 after two innings. 

The Stars tied the score with three runs each in the third and fourth innings to take a 7-4 lead. 

Austin Messerli doubled home two runs in the third and Ruben Sosa led off the fourth with a solo homer before Kirk Walker capped the inning with a two-run shot. 

The Evangels answered back and regained the lead with four in the bottom of the fourth as Martinez doubled home Joe Moore and Adrian Bravo-Carmona singled home two runs. 

David Wynn worked eight innings for the Evangels and surrendered nine runs, eight earned  and struck out seven. 

Pedro Perez was the hard luck loser for MACU, throwing two innings and giving up only one unearned run. 

The Evangels will next host Hillsdale College in a non-conference matchup on Monday afternoon (Apr. 18) at 1 p.m.