Oklahoma Panhandle State University

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 Goodwell, Okla.—After struggling through a 13-1 loss Saturday in game one against St. Edward's University the OPSU Softball team steadily improved, falling 4-7 in game two, before notching their second Heartland Conference win of the season with a 4-1 victory in Sunday's game three.

The Hilltoppers came into the series ranked fourth in the league with an overall record of 14-12 and four conference wins under their belts. Saturday's first outing saw SEU's leading pitcher Lauren Slatten take the circle; Slatten currently holds the top spots in the conference standings for both ERA (2.16) and strikeouts (136) and held the Aggies to a .118 batting average in game one. OPSU had two hits in the game with their only run coming in the third inning as the first two batters reached base hit by pitch and walked; Julia Ibarra hit a single to load the bases, and a sacrifice fly by Brooklyne Bolton sent the lone run through for the Aggies.

St. Edward's held a 4-1 lead after three innings, scoring two runs each in innings two and three. The Toppers added three more to the board in the fourth, and clinched the run-rule victory with a big fifth inning performance that saw six runs score. OPSU left three runners on base in the bottom of the inning to end the game early. Ibarra pitched all five innings for OPSU and took the loss with 11 hits and ten earned runs; she took two batters down with strikeouts. Slatten marked her ninth win of the season in the five-inning appearance and threw six out with strikes.

Game two got off to shaky start for OPSU's starting pitcher Criselda Luna. The Hilltoppers took five hits for three runs in the first two innings, capitalizing on four stolen bases, and infield error and a wild pitch. The Aggies bounced back in the bottom of the third inning as centerfielder Sarah Gregori stepped up with a double to her own territory with one out. On two outs, Ibarra, Bolton and Darcie Wilson came through with consecutive singles adding two runs for the Aggies; Bolton then put up the third run as an error behind the plate allowed her to score.

The ballgame was tied 3-3 going into the fourth inning when St. Edward's put a damper on the Aggies' rally with a four-run resurgence of their own. Two errors extended the inning and two singles and a double helped push the Toppers through to take a 7-3 lead. With one out in the bottom of the fourth, Faith Guzman drove a double down the left line for OPSU, but was left on base as a fielder's choice and a fly-out ended the inning scoreless for the Aggies. Senior Samantha Arledge stepped on the rubber to relieve Luna in the top of the fifth and got the job done, allowing just one hit for zero runs through the remaining three innings. Ibarra reached first as the leadoff batter in the bottom of the fifth after being hit by an errant pitch; with bases loaded, she scored from third base on an error by the catcher.

A sloppy sixth inning by the Aggies saw two Topper runners walked and a third runner reach base on an error and advance with a steal. A fielder's choice brought the third out leaving all three runners on base. Focused fielding allowed zero hits for neither team in the final inning. Luna took the loss in four innings with eight hits and seven runs (five earned). SEU's starter Ashlee Rex earned the win in 3.1 innings and Slatten got her second save of the season pitching the last 2.2 innings.

Arledge opened for OPSU in game three on Sunday, and lasted all seven innings to earn her first Heartland Conference win of the season. An early error by the Aggie infield put the leadoff runner on base. A sac bunt emptied the diamond and Arledge sent the next two batters back to the dugout with back-to-back strikeouts, both looking. The Aggies were allowed just one hit in the bottom of the first and then held off the Hilltoppers in the top of the second, bringing three up and three down. A leadoff single by Madison Heathington was followed up with a single by Guzman in the bottom of the inning. Both runners were brought through to put the Aggies up 2-0 as they entered the third inning. Another error by the OPSU defense loaded the bases for SEU with one out in the top of the third, and a base on balls added an RBI, saving a would-be shutout loss for St. Edward's. Heathington offset the effort of the opponent by knocking a solo homer over left-center in the bottom of the inning, putting a two-run gap between the Topper and the Aggies. That was Heathington's 11th homerun this season.

The score remained 3-1, Aggies, through top of the sixth inning. Guzman got the Toppers' attention as she led off the last half of the sixth and hit her first home run of the season. Starting off the top of the seventh, OPSU allowed one runner to reach base on an error and another on a fielder's choice; but the Aggies were able to hold on for the win, and dashed the Hilltoppers' hopes for a series sweep. Arledge finished the game with five hits and no earned runs; she threw four strikeouts in 30 batters faced. SEU's Slatten entered at relief after 1.1 innings, but the loss was given to their starting pitcher, Olivia Burdick.

OPSU Softball improves to a 13-19 overall record and sits 2-7 in conference play this season. The Aggies will face another Heartland opponent this weekend as they host the University of Texas-Permian Basin March 25-26. The three-game series starts with a doubleheader on Friday at 1 p.m. and will wrap up with a single game on Saturday at Noon. UTPB currently sits at the bottom of the conference ranks with a 5-24 season record and one inner-league win.

The Aggies will be playing for a cause this weekend as they "Lace Up 4 Pediatric Cancer." Fans will be able to make donations at the game or purchase OPSU Softball gear with all proceeds going to "Go 4 the Goal" which helps kids with cancer achieve their goals. More information will be released about the event separately. Fans are encouraged to pack the stands and fill the buckets with cash, change or checks which will help improve the lives of children battling cancer.