Oklahoma Panhandle State University

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Goodwell, Okla.—Tuesday's doubleheader between Panhandle State softball and former Heartland Conference rival UT-Permian Basin brought plenty of action at the plate. The two teams matched hits in each game and split the series 1-1.

With 14 hits each in game one, it was the Aggies who claimed first victory 10-8 thanks to a big, eight-run inning in the fourth. UTPB went on to win game two 9-5, matching Panhandle with 11 hits over the seven-inning stretch. The Aggies' sophomore pitcher, Criselda Luna gained one win, but also took the game-two loss to sit 1-3 on the season.

Luna came in for starter Julia Ibarra after three innings in the first matchup with the Falcons. Ibarra allowed two runs to score in the first and three in the second, but tossed five strikeouts during her stint in the circle. Luna came in to pitch the first four innings of game two, giving up six earned runs on eight hits; freshman Emily Worley closed out the contest and held the Falcons to three hits and two earned runs on her watch.

Falling behind 5-0 in the third inning of game one, the Aggies came back with two runs off two doubles in the bottom of the inning. Faith Guzman put Karah Ortiz in scoring position with her double to right field; senior Madison Heathington then stepped up with a two-run double to left-center to narrow the gap. The Falcons answered with two runs in the top of the fourth, but Panhandle followed up with a hitting show taking eight hits, all singles, for eight runs to notch a 10-7 lead going into the fifth. Scoreless fifth and sixth innings left the Aggies with a one run lead heading into the final inning of the game. UTPB scored one run in the seventh, falling short of a comeback.

Game two got off to a slow start for the Aggies who wouldn't score a run until the bottom of the seventh inning. Down 9-0, Panhandle hitters battled back with five runs scored on back to back two-run doubles by Brissa Rivera and Krissy Sardelich, followed by an RBI single from A.J. Husband. A nice sac bunt by Danielle Villarreal on two outs put two more runners in scoring position, but a pop-up ended the game with the Falcons notching the win.

With one win on the series, the Aggies improve to a 10-17 season record and will take to the road next week with a five-game outing in Austin, Texas. On Wednesday, March 22 the team will break from conference play to take on Huston Tillotson in a doubleheader. Friday and Saturday the Aggies will compete against St. Edward's in a three-game Heartland series with a single game on March 24 and doubleheader on March 25.