Oklahoma Panhandle State University

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 | Box Score 4 Mansfield, Texas—The OPSU Softball team competed in the North Texas Softball Bash this weekend and came away 1-3 for the tournament; the event was cut short due to impending weather and the two games scheduled for Sunday were cancelled.

Sophomore Samantha Arledge was Saturday's hero against Baker University both in the circle and at the plate as she threw seven strikeouts and hit a game-winning home run for 2 RBI in the eighth inning. Arledge stepped up to the rubber with one out in the first inning relieving Taylor Richardson; in 7.2 innings of work, Arledge allowed 11 hits and six runs.

Baker brought in one run in the bottom of the first to open scoring and the Aggies followed up with two runs in the second; the first being a lead-off homer by Madison Heathington and the second came off a single by Anyssa Barbosa with two outs and runners at second and third. After a scoreless third inning, both teams added one run in the fourth which had the Aggies on top 3-2. Faith Guzman came through with a home run in the fifth good for two RBI and, later that inning Ashby Williams brought through a runner off a walk with bases loaded and two outs to pull the Aggies ahead with a score of 6-2. Baker answered with three runs in the sixth and brought through the tying run on an error with two outs in the seventh.

The game was tied at six-all after seven innings of play bringing the International Tie-Breaker Rule into effect which placed the previous runners for each team on second base in the eighth inning. With two outs and Barbosa on second, Arledge stepped up and smacked a home run to pull the Aggies ahead by two runs (8-6). Arledge held the Wildcats to one run in the bottom of the eighth and threw one strikeout and two ground-outs clinching the 8-7 win for OPSU.

In the first three games of the tournament the Aggies took losses against tough opponents beginning on Friday with Midwestern State. Freshman pitcher Marissa Cortez started on the rubber and took the 4-7 loss allowing 10 hits and six earned runs in five innings of work. Arledge entered for one inning and tossed three strikeouts giving up two hits and one run. Guzman led the team in RBI with two and Ashley Jarzombek led the Aggies in hitting going 3-4 in game one.

OPSU was up against a third-ranked, Lone Star Conference, Cameron University team who dished a 10-0 shutout against the Aggies from Goodwell in Friday's game two. Arledge started in the circle and took the loss in 2.2 innings allowing five runs and throwing three strikeouts; Richardson came in to pitch 2.1 innings and gave up the final five runs ending the game early in five innings. Cameron held OPSU to two hits for the game, one rom Ashby Williams and the other off the bat of Darcie Wilson.

The Aggies faced 8-time NAIA Softball National Champions from Oklahoma City University in game three to open play on Saturday. The Stars also held the Aggies to two runs in the five-inning game with Abby Meador pitching a 13-0 win for OCU. Cortez started in the circle for OPSU and took the loss in five innings with 12 hits and five strikeouts. Salina Galindo and Sam Arledge had the two singles for OPSU.

For the weekend the Aggies totaled 24 hits with three homeruns. Leading the Aggie bats were Galindo who averaged .556 going 5-9 with one run and one RBI; Arledge who held a 1.000 slugging percentage taking six bases at six at-bats for two RBI; and Guzman who led the team with four RBI off a home run and a single. The pitching crew tossed a total of 18 strikeouts in four games with Arledge leading the pack at 13.

The Aggies move to 6-9 on the season and look to open Heartland Conference play this weekend in Oklahoma City. If weather permits the Aggies will take on Oklahoma Christian in a three-game series starting Friday, Feb. 27 with a double-header beginning at 3 p.m. Tuesday's home game against Mid-American Christian have been cancelled due to snow.