Oklahoma Panhandle State University

Box Score Alva, Okla.—It was a close contest throughout Tuesday's inner-state rivalry between Panhandle State baseball and the Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers. The Aggies owned the lead through the seventh inning, but fell short by one run (6-5) as the Rangers took a walk-off win in the tenth.

Sophomore Jeremy Norris started on the mound for Panhandle and pitched a solid 6.2 innings, leaving Michael Mendoza with a 5-4 lead as he entered in the seventh. Mendoza lasted through two outs in the bottom of the eighth, replaced by Hunter Hand after giving up two hits that would bring in the tying run later that inning. Hand held the Rangers to one hit and tossed two out in the ninth, but a walked batter, stolen base and wild pitch in the tenth helped score the winning run for NWOSU. The loss went to Hand with 2.0 innings, one hit and one earned run.

The Aggies totaled five hits over the ten-inning stretch, with an RBI single from B.J. Henry starting things in the third inning. Redshirt freshmen Armando Mendez and Chris Casias each brought in runs in the fourth; Mendez drove a double down left field to score one and Casias added an RBI on a fielder's choice play. Junior Brendan O'Flynn pushed through two more runs in the fourth as he reached base on an infield error with all corners covered.

Panhandle State baseball hosts their final home games of the season this week, as they step back into Heartland Conference play with a three-game series against Texas A&M International. Games originally scheduled for Friday-Saturday will now take place Thursday and Friday (April 27-28) due to impending weather over the weekend. Thursday's doubleheader begins at 1 p.m., with game three on Friday tentatively set for 12 p.m. Weather will dictate Friday's starting time and senior athletes will be recognized prior to the game. Information will be posted as it is received; check OPSU Athletics on Facebook and Twitter for updates.