Oklahoma Panhandle State University

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 Lubbock, Texas—Still smoking from last weekend's hot streak, the OPSU Softball team continues to rack up wins on the road as they finished 2-1 in a tournament hosted by Lubbock Christian University Feb. 7-8; the Aggies now own a winning record of 5-2 for the season.

The Aggies earned a single win against Mid-America Nazarene (4-1) on Saturday and split a two-game series with Western New-Mexico (7-2, 5-8) on Sunday. For the weekend the Aggies totaled 31 hits including seven doubles and drove in 13 RBI. Sophomore pitcher Samantha Arledge earned one win and one save and totaled 16 strikeouts in 12 innings pitched.

In Saturday's match-up against Mid-America Nazarene, senior Taylor Richardson got the start in the circle and earned her third win of the season. Richardson pitched four innings allowing just one run in the third inning off a double by the Pioneers. Arledge came in to relieve Richardson for the final three innings and threw six strikeouts for the save.

The Aggies' first run against Mid-America Nazarene came from sophomore Anyssa Barbosa with two outs in the first inning; Barbosa hit a double to right field and was brought in by Brooklyne Bolton on the next at-bat. After a silent second inning, the Aggies scored one run in the bottom of the third on a wild pitch with two outs. A double by Faith Guzman in the fifth was good for the first of two RBI that inning; Bolton hit a sac fly to centerfield scoring Guzman for the fourth run of the game.

Arledge earned her second win of the season in Sunday's game one against Western New Mexico. After pitching a full seven innings, she finished the game with five hits, two runs and seven strikeouts. The Mustangs scored their only two runs at the bottom of the first inning to gain an early 2-1 lead; but the Aggies rallied back and went on to score four runs the next three innings and two in the seventh. Ashley Jarzombek led the game in RBI with two and Madison Heathington led in hits with three.

Richardson took her first loss of the season in game two, pitching five innings for nine hits and five earned runs; Arledge took over in the sixth and tossed three strikeouts allowing three hits and two runs (unearned). WNMU started off scoring three runs in the first inning off a double down the left line. The Aggies came back with two runs in the bottom of the third, but the Mustangs answered with three in the fourth to take a 6-2 lead. In the fifth inning Heathington drove in two runs with a single up the middle and Darcie Wilson brought in one RBI. The Aggies left three on base in the last two innings, while the Mustangs scored two runs in the seventh to seal the deal.

The Aggies will hit the road again this week for the 8-State Classic tournament hosted by the University of Arkansas-Monitcello in Bentonville, Ark. The team looks forward to this tournament each year to get the opportunity to play several different teams. OPSU will face William Jewell College (Mo.) and Lindenwood University on Friday, Feb. 13; Drury University and Northeastern State on Saturday, Feb. 14; and closes out the weekend with one game on Sunday against Northwestern Oklahoma State.

Aggie fans can look forward to the first home softball games on Tuesday, Feb. 24 when the Aggies host a double-header against Mid-America Christian starting at 1 p.m. Good luck and safe travels to OPSU Softball!