ALLEN, TX - The Oklahoma Panhandle State softball team(4-2) heads to Texas to compete in the three-day NAIA Winter Invitational. Coming into day one against Bellevue University followed up by #6 Columbia College (1-1). 
The Aggies would drop both games against the Bruins and the Cougars on day one of the invitationals. Falling in game one 7-2 and game two 0-5. 

Panhandle State looked to continue their momentum after sweeping the University of the Southwest (N.M) in their last regular-season series. A series that saw breakout performances from Sarah Conley, Kayli Grove, Kinzie Jones, and Kenzie Monroe.
A game that looked promising in the first inning for the Aggies as they scored first in the game. Going up one to nothing until the fourth inning. However, the Aggie bats struggled to put the ball in play in game one as they totaled only four hits in the contest. Three errors on the day allowed too many Bruin runners on base for them to capitalize on.

Game 1

Sophomore Kenley Yocom (2-1) would make her third start of the season for the Aggies against the Bruins. Throwing six innings and allowed five earned runs on nine hits. She would be relieved in the sixth inning after the Bruins widened their lead to 7-1. 

Isabel Ray headed to the mound in relief for Yocom to try to get the Aggies back on track heading into the last inning of the contest. Ray would throw a complete inning and only allow a single hit to the Bruins.

The Aggies did not have as hot of bats as they did against the University of the Southwest (N.M) against the Bruins. Managing on four hits in the game. No Aggie recorded more than a single hit. However, senior Kayli Grove was responsible for both of the Aggie runs on the day. She scored Haley Saur in the bottom of the first to give the Aggies the early lead and then would score off of Tatum Trester's sacrifice fly in the fourth. 

The earlier innings of the game seemed to be in favor of the Aggies. The Bruins hitters were able to get on base due to Aggie errors yet were unable to score, leaving the Aggies unscathed. However, this luck would seem to run out as runners began to fill the base paths leading to multiple home runs for the Bruins. Giving them significant leads in the contest. Totaling four extra-base hits in the game to the Aggies' one. 

The five-run fifth by the Bruins seemed to put a damper on the Aggie dugout. As they only managed a single runner in the last three innings of the game. Struggling to find holes in the Bruin defense, the Aggies would go down, leaving six unanswered runs on the board with a final score of 7-2.

Game 2

The Aggies came into their second game of the doubleheader looking to awaken their bats as they play opposite the #6 nationally ranked Columbia (MO.) Cougars.

Junior pitcher Sarah Conley (1-0) gets the start for the Aggies notching her third one of the year. Throwing a complete game for the Aggies allowing five earned runs and totaling eight strikeouts. The Cougars would take advantage of the conditions as they belted two home runs off the Aggie starter.

Against the Cougars, the Aggies looked to awaken their bats at the plate after only totaling four hits in their first game of the day. However, the Cougars planned otherwise. Shutting down the Aggie hitters to another three-hit game and seven strikeouts. Brielle Daniell, Kayli Grove, and Kenzie Monroe would rack up the only hits for the Aggies in game two. 

The Aggies looked poised to make a run at the number six team in the nation after getting two runners on in the top of the first. However, the Cougars would make quick work of the following Aggie hitters to get out of the jam. Which would spell out the rest of the story for the Aggies as they only managed three more runners in the rest of the game.

The Aggies were shutout by the Cougars 0-5, leaving five runners on base in their seven innings of play. A lackluster offensive performance on the day that could not get behind Conley's performance on the mound. 

Oklahoma Panhandle State softball returns to action for day two of the NAIA Winter Invitational Saturday, February 12th starting at 2:30 PM against McPherson College followed up by Tabor College (Kan.)