BETHANY, Okla. — The Oklahoma Panhandle State softball team (5-25, 3-13 SAC) held late leads Saturday but was walked off in heartbreaking fashion twice, 6-5 and 2-1, on the road at Southwestern Christian (15-7, 8-6).
Game 1: Starting pitcher
Jordan Johnson faced just seven batters through two innings, giving the Aggies a chance to strike first in the third frame.
Summer Marron drove in
Jules Leach with a two-out single to break the scoreless tie, but the Eagles answered on a double to knot things up, 1-1, through three innings.
The Aggies pushed two runners across in the top of the fourth following a leadoff double from
Rylee Hrbacek and a hit-by-pitch to
Gracie Lankford. SCU again responded to make it 3-3 after four frames.
Panhandle State took advantage of Lankford's leadoff two-bagger in the sixth inning, using a sac bunt by
Reighley Wilkerson plus an error to retake a 5-3 edge.
The 5-3 lead held into the bottom of the seventh when the Aggies were two outs away from breaking their losing streak still ahead by one, but a bunt single and two-run walk-off triple stole victory from the visitors.
Game 2: The series finale featured a pitcher's duel between OPSU's
Marin Jacobs and SCU's Jessica Czikra, as the hurlers had shutouts going through a full seven innings.
Southwestern Christian advanced a runner to third base in three consecutive frames from the third through fifth inning, though Jacobs was able to preserve the tie. She was aided by a spectacular inning-ending double play started on a flyout to Leach in the third inning, whose throw home led to a rundown for the frame's final out.
In the eighth inning, Stanhope started as the Aggies' automatic runner at second base, and she moved to third on Lankford's sac bunt. After an out,
Liliana Vaquera got OPSU on the board with an RBI double, giving her a team a 1-0 lead heading to the bottom of the extra frame.
The Eagles tied it before Panhandle State's defense locked in to get consecutive outs, leaving SCU with one out to work with. The hosts won it on a single to right, securing their series sweep.
Jacobs was spectacular, working 7.2 innings, allowing one earned run and striking out a season-high five batters.
What's up next: The Aggies face a tough test at home March 27-28 when No. 9 Science & Arts (23-7, 12-2) visits Jim Quimby Field.
