Oklahoma Panhandle State University

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 Goodwell, Okla.—A windy weekend in the Panhandle proved perfect conditions for OPSU Softball as they took two wins in a three-game, Heartland Conference series against Newman University Friday and Saturday.

The Aggies totaled 31 hits on the weekend and sent four balls over the fence scoring eight RBI on home runs alone. Anyssa Barbosa knocked the first homer over centerfield in the bottom of the second to put the Aggies on the board in game one. Newman brought in four runs at the top of the inning and added five more to go up 9-1 after five and a half innings of play.

In the bottom of the fifth, with OPSU runners on the corners, Kinzie Spurgin stepped up with an RBI single to right field notching another run for the Aggies. Marissa Cortez and the Aggie defense sat down three runners in a row for the Jets in a quick top-half of the sixth; the Jets held a healthy lead with a score of 9-2. In the bottom of the inning Ashley Jarzombek reached base on an error and advanced to second on a ground-out; Salina Galindo then sent Jarzombek home with a big triple to right field. Madison Heathington followed up with the Aggies' second home run of the game good for two RBI, which broke the Newman lead to four runs (9-5).

Cortez struck out the first Newman batter to open the seventh and the Aggie defense turned another quick inning with a fly-out and a ground-out to leave Jets scoreless in the final inning. The Aggies were also held to zero hits and zero runs in the seventh giving the Jets the 9-5 victory in game one. Newman pitcher Jensen Cromer earned her sixth win of the season and Taylor Richardson took the loss for the Aggies, pitching the first four innings before Cortez took the circle. Cortez threw  a strong three innings giving up two hits for one run with four fly-outs and four ground-outs.

Newman jumped out to a 2-0 lead in Friday's second game, scoring one run in the first and one in the third. Heathington drove a double to left field in the bottom of the fourth and was sent to third on a single by Brooklyne Bolton. Barbosa then hit a sac fly to score Heathington and put one run on the board for the Aggies.

The fifth and sixth innings went scoreless for both teams with the Aggies held to two hits in two innings. Newman came through with a triple in the seventh followed by a sac fly which scored one run giving the Jets a 3-1 lead. With two outs and runners on second and third, Galindo hit a two-run single into left field to tie the ballgame at three-all. Heathington at the plate, with a 1-2 count, hit an RBI single to give the Aggies and exciting walk-off win with a final score of 4-3.

Samantha Arledge earned her seventh win of the season in game two pitching a complete seven innings with three runs on 11 hits and eight strikeouts; she totaled eight fly-outs and five ground-outs for the game. Newman's Katie Ingles took the loss for the Jets in 6.2 innings.

With Arledge back in the circle, Saturday's game three started with a three-run lead for the Jets after the first half-inning of play; but Ashley Jarzombek led off with a solo home run in the bottom of the inning, dropping Newman's lead to two runs. The Jets were held scoreless over the next two innings and the Aggies turned up the heat in the bottom of the third scoring four runs on a grand slam homer by Arledge which put OPSU in the lead by a score of 5-3.

Newman came back with one run in the fourth, but a two-run single by Bolton in the fifth gave the Aggies a three-run lead (7-4). Neither team would score in the sixth and the Jets, looking to make a comeback, rallied for two runs in the seventh; not enough to pull out the win. OPSU earned their third Heartland Conference victory taking game three 7-6 over Newman University. Arledge got the win with another seven innings of work; she was taken for six runs (three earned) on ten hits and threw seven strikeouts. Starting pitcher, Kelsey Jones took the loss for Newman in three innings.

Barbosa led the Aggies in hitting for the series going five of seven at the plate with two runs and two RBI. Arledge led the team in RBI with four on her grand slam, followed by Heathington and Galindo who had three RBI apiece. With the wins the Aggies' record improves to 11-29 on the season and they now sit 3-15 in conference play.

OPSU Softball will take a break from Heartland action with a mid-week game against Cameron University in Lawton, Okla. on Tuesday. The Aggies will play their final home games of the season this weekend  with a three-game conference series against Texas A&M-International April 17-18. Friday's doubleheader begins at 1 p.m. and game three is set for Noon on Saturday; seniors will be recognized prior to Saturday's game.