Oklahoma Panhandle State University

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 Goodwell, Okla.—The Panhandle State baseball team put on a fine hitting performance over the weekend totaling 31 hits over a three-game stint in their Heartland Conference opening series against Newman. The Aggies fell in games one and three by scores of 17-11 and 10-4, but notched a conference win in game two on Friday, defeating the Jets 5-4 in the nine-inning matchup.

Game one saw runs score in each of the seven innings played, with Newman jumping out to a 3-0 lead after the first inning. The Aggies starting pitcher Samuel Beattie lasted 4.0 innings allowing two runs in the third and four in the fourth. Panhandle hitters got off to a good start as well, putting up five runs in the second with two errors in that inning. Leadoff batter Juan Rubayo reached base on a fielding error and later scored on an infield error that brought in two RBI for the Aggies. Joseph Cerda, Chris Schraer and B.J. Henry each hit RBI singles to bring in the other three runners.

The Aggies edged out of the 5-5 tie with three runs in the bottom of the third inning. On two outs, Chris Casias and Cerda reached base on singles and both were brought home on a two-run double by Schraer; Henry then hit an RBI single to give the Aggies an 8-5 lead going into the fourth. The Jets pulled ahead by one run in the fourth (9-8), but Panhandle reclaimed the advantage with two runs in the bottom half. Tiler Fletcher sent one in on an RBI single followed by Casias, who scored Nate Kelly on a sac bunt.

Sophomore Jeremy Norris left the bullpen to open for the Aggies in the top of the fifth. Norris gave up the 10-9 lead allowing three runs to score for the Jets in .1 innings. Panhandle's final run came through in the bottom of the fifth with a sac fly by Juan Rubayo. Pitchers Josh Casillas and Scott Cutright would also see action for the Aggies, with Casillas giving up seven hits and five earned runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Norris would take credit for the loss and Newman's Kane McCarthy earned his second win of the season; Alex Hoelscher got the save for the Jets.

Panhandle held a 3-1 lead through the fifth inning of game two, and held out for the one-run win with the help of closer Corey Ley, who got his first win of the season in 1.2 innings of work. Ley followed starter Adrian Lopez (5.0), Felipe Beltran (1.2) and Zane Grigsby (0.2) who combined for six hits and three earned runs.

The Aggies' first three runs came on and RBI double by Henry and a two-run homer by Robert Rodriguez in the third inning. Newman had scored one run in the top of the inning, and the Aggies answered with three to pull ahead 3-1 going into the fourth. The Jets gained on run in the sixth and two in the eighth, edging a 4-3 lead heading into the ninth inning. Ley held his opponents hitless and the Aggies managed two runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to pull out the victory. Newman struggled from the bump giving up two bases on balls, three on hit batters and one stolen base in the ninth inning. Matt Riney took the loss with two earned runs to his name for the Jets.

Saturday's game three had the Aggies trailing four runs after four innings. Cerda put up Panhandles first run reaching base on balls, stealing second and scoring on two wild pitches in the first inning; Rubayo brought in the second on an RBI double also in the first. Starter Logan Litton pitched 3.0 innings for Panhandle before being relieved by Ley in the fourth. Ley gave up three hits and four earned runs, leaving the Aggies with a 6-2 deficit going into the fifth. Nate Kelly stepped up with a two-run single on two outs in the bottom of the fifth to narrow the gap to two runs for Panhandle. The remainder of the game would see five other Aggie pitchers take the mound, and four runs scored by the Jets who held the Aggies scoreless through the final four innings. Ley held the loss for Panhandle and Newman's Collin Loutenstock claimed the win over a 5.2 inning stretch.

With the win, the Aggies move to 6-20 on the season and hold a 1-2 record within the conference. Coach Jason Miner was excited to see the team perform well at the plate saying, "It was good to come back and win game two on Friday after losing a high-scoring game in game one. This was our best offensive weekend so far. Hopefully we can continue to improve and make some things happen."

Panhandle State baseball remains on the home field this week with a two-game series against Southern Nazarene on Monday, March 20. The doubleheader begins at 1 p.m. The team will re-enter Heartland play on the road March 24-25 with games against the University of Arkansas Fort Smith.