PORTLAND, Texas – The Oklahoma Panhandle State University softball team lost a pair of games on Day 1 of the SCS/NAIA Invitational.  The Aggies (3-3­) lost a 4-2 decision to York College, before being topped by NAIA No. 16-ranked Columbia College, 8-0.
 
After an elongated journey to south Texas, due to recent snow storms, freshman Sarah Conley took the circle for OPSU versus York. After two scoreless innings, Panhandle's Chrislyn Dovers reached on a fielding error by the pitcher to open the third. Then, with the bases load, Kayli Grove delivered an RBI single to left, scoring Dovers, to make it 1-0.
 
In the top of the sixth, York got to Conley for four earned runs on five hits, taking the lead for good. A sacrifice fly by Dovers cut the deficit to 4-2. YC loaded the bases in the seventh against Conley, before Kaylor Battiest came on to slam the door on the Panthers to keep the game close.
 
Jaylinn Reyes led OPSU's attack versus York, going 3-for-3. Reyes had a double, the Aggies only extra-base hit of the game. Grove was 1-for-4 with an RBI. Jena Konieczka was 1-for-2.
 
Conley had three strikeouts in her 6.0 innings pitched. Battiest had a hitless seventh inning of work.
 
In game two, Panhandle State mustered just four hits against the nationally-ranked Cougars. Battiest (2-1) went the distance in the circle for OPSU, suffering her first loss of 2020. Battiest had seven strikeouts, but walked six. She was charged with 11 hits and seven earned runs.
 
All four of Panhandle's hits came via the bats of two players: Grove and Camryn Pryor. Grove was 2-for-4 at the plate and Pryor went 2-for-3.
 
The Cougars had three doubles and a home run among their 11 hits.