Oklahoma Panhandle State University

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 Goodwell, Okla.—OPSU Softball was put to the test this weekend in a three-game Heartland Conference series with the third-ranked St. Mary's University.

The Rattlers racked up three wins starting with a 14-2 victory in Friday's game one where the Aggies were held to a .233 batting average with seven hits for the game. Freshman pitcher Marissa Cortez got the loss for OPSU going the distance and throwing four strikeouts, 11 fly-outs and five ground-outs; Cortez gave up 14 runs on 17 hits in her fourth start of the season. Vianna Gutierrez earned the win for St. Mary's and is now the top-ranked pitcher in the Heartland Conference with 15 wins and an overall ERA of 1.29 for the season.

The Aggies two runs came in the seventh inning after the Rattlers went on a seven-run tear at the top of the inning to go ahead 14-0. Ashley Jarzombek was hit by a pitch to reach base and was driven in on a double by Anyssa Barbosa for the first run; Barbosa then crossed home on a single down the left line by Samantha Arledge. Darcie Wilson also hit a double in the sixth but was left on base with zero runs coming in.

Jarzombek went four for four in game two and brought in the fourth run off a single in the sixth inning; despite her great efforts the Aggies could not keep pace with the Rattlers and took a 16-4 loss. With St. Mary's up 3-0 the Aggies brought in two runs in the bottom of the second on singles by Arledge and Madison Heathington. The Rattlers went on to score three runs each in the fourth and fifth innings and held OPSU to one run; Jarzombek reached on a double to center field and was sent home by a single from Salina Galindo. The Aggies were down 4-9 going in to the seventh when the Rattlers went to work bringing in seven runs; OPSU was held to zero hits to close out the inning.

Arledge took the loss for OPSU pitching seven innings with 12 hits for 13 runs (12 earned); she tossed eight strikeouts, eight fly-outs and four ground-outs for the game. Hope Russell was credited with the win in four innings of work; the third-ranked pitcher in the conference threw one strikeout and nine ground-outs and held the Aggies to seven hits and three earned runs.

Gutierrez pitched a complete game shut-out for St. Mary's in Saturday's game three allowing just one hit to the Aggies, a single by Cortney Clark in the third inning. Senior Taylor Richardson got the start in the circle for OPSU and took the loss with five earned runs on six hits; Richardson threw two strikeouts and four fly-outs in 2.0 innings; Arledge came in at relief in the third and threw six strikeouts with six hits for two runs.

The Aggies totaled 19 hits for the series and averaged .915 in fielding; Jarzombek led the tea in batting with a .556 slugging percentage and totaled six putouts with four assists and one error at short stop. OPSU holds a current record of 9-25 on the season with one win in the Heartland Conference. The Aggies will travel to Lubbock this week for another conference match-up against Lubbock Christian Thursday and Friday. The team will return home April 10-11 for a conference series with Newman University.