Softball | 3/7/2020 7:02:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 WICHITA, Kan. -  After a pair of tough losses to open the day, the Oklahoma Panhandle State University softball team staged a huge comeback in its third game at the Friends University Invitational. The Aggies – who went 3-2 overall in the event – lost to Ottawa University (8-0) and Bethany University (5-4), before topping Bethel College (4-2) with a seventh-inning rally.
 
Ottawa struck early, pushing across two runs in its first at-bats versus OPSU starter Kaylor Battiest and adding another in the third frame, 3-0. OU loaded the bases versus Battiest in the sixth with one out, chasing the OPSU starter in favor of Rebecca Ortiz. But Ortiz struggled to retire the Braves and, by the time the dust had settled in the sixth, Ottawa had added five runs to lead 8-0 in the game.
 
Battiest's final line was 5.1 innings pitched, six runs allowed and four of which were earned. She struck out seven and walked six.
 
Meanwhile, Braves' starting pitcher Casson Rasmussen kept the Aggies at bay, not permitting a hit. The only Panhandle player to reach base versus Rasmussen was Kinzie Jones on a fourth inning fielding error by OU's thirdbaseman.
 
In game two of the day, Bethany had built a 3-0 lead versus Aggie starter Sarah Conley with a single run in the second and two in the fourth.
 
But in the top of the fifth, Adams doubled to center to lead off the inning, taking third on a ground out by Grove. Dovers then laid down a squeeze bunt that allowed Adams to score OPSU's first run of the day, 3-1.
 
The next batter – Abby Gregory - bunted and reached on an error by the Swedes' firstbaseman, bringing up the hot-hitting Jaylinn Reyes. Reyes promptly deposited the first pitch over the left-field fence to knot the game at 3-3.
 
Bethany answered with a run in its half of the fifth frame, 4-3. The Swedes added an insurance run in the sixth to make it 5-3 going into the seventh.
 
OPSU tried to rally in the top of the seventh, but fell just short. Grove led off with a double to right and, with one out, was sacrificed to third. Reyes stepped into the box and delivered a single up the middle to score Grove, cutting the deficit to 5-4. But Jones was struck out for the final out of the inning.
 
For the contest, OPSU out-hit Bethany, 7-6. Reyes was 2-for-4 with three RBI, while Adams went 2-for-3.
 
Conley had five strikeouts in the complete game loss. Only two of the five runs charged against her were earned.
 
The final game of the grueling three-in-one-day Saturday schedule for Panhandle State, was versus Bethel College.
 
The Aggies wasted no time getting on the board in this contest. Adams walked to lead off and then went to third on a Reyes double to left. Brissa Rivera lifted a sacrifice fly to left that sent Adams home to make it 1-0 before the bleachers were even warm.
 
BC evened it at 1-1 with a single run in the bottom of the second and took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth.
 
OPSU had ample opportunity to get even – or even grab the lead – late in the game, but could not convert the chances. The Aggies stranded runners in scoring position in each of the fourth, fifth and sixth innings of the tight ball game.
 
But in the seventh, OPSU mounted the epic rally for the win. Veronica Ray led off with a single and, with one out, Jordyn Sanford pinch ran at first. After a strikeout and a fielder's choice, OPSU was down to its final out with the tying run at second base.
 
Stepping up to the plate was the Aggies' "Ms. Clutch": Reyes. After fouling off the first three pitches, Reyes was down to her final strike. On the fourth offering from Thresher hurler Rylie Scudder, Reyes deposited the ball over the left field fence, putting her team ahead, 3-2, on her second homer of the day and third of the season.
 
A Camryn Pryor RBI single gave Panhandle some breathing room, 4-2, with Bethel due up for its final cuts. Conley would retire the Threshers, unscathed, to tie down the Aggie win.
 
Conley went 7.0 innings, scattered six hits and struck out eight.
 
The middle of the Aggie lineup was devastating to Bethel. Panhandle's Nos. 2-6 batters – Reyes, Rivera, Grove, Pryor and Jones – each went 2-for-4 in the game. That accounted for 10 of the team's 11 hits versus BC.
 
For the tournament's five games, Reyes hit .444 (8-18), with four doubles and the two home runs, good for a 1.000 slugging percentage. She scored four times and drove in 10 runs.