FORT WORTH, Texas — A five-run sixth inning for Texas Wesleyan (18-17, 12-10 SAC) in the nightcap crushed the Oklahoma Panhandle State softball team's (5-31, 3-19) hopes of snapping its losing streak Thursday on the road, as the Aggies fell 8-0 and 6-5 in the respective contests.
Game 1: Starting pitcher
Jordan Johnson kept Panhandle State in the game, as the visitors were only trailing 1-0 through three innings and 3-0 after four. The Rams walked it off in run-rule fashion with a big fifth inning, however.
The Aggies' lone hit came from a pinch-hit double off the bat of
Cassidy Stanhope as their losing streak stretched to 16.
Game 2: Thursday's nightcap featured several big momentum swings late. OPSU was one out away from escaping the sixth inning with a 3-1 lead, but a walk, two-run double and three-run homer from the home team quickly devastated the Aggies' chances, trailing 6-3.
Down to its last chance in the top of the seventh, Panhandle State launched a comeback beginning with Stanhope's two-out walk. Singles to left by
Aaliyah Dang-Gutierrez,
Haeley Vasquez and
Flora Moreno drove in two, giving the visitors a chance to retake a lead. The game heartbreakingly ended though, 6-5, on a sharply hit ball by
Marin Jacobs directly to the TWU left fielder's glove.
Haley Emmerson drew a walk to begin the game before stealing a base and making her way home on
Summer Marron's sacrifice fly, which gave OPSU a 1-0 lead.
An RBI single from the Rams tied it in the second inning, but
Gracie Lankford responded in kind with her run-scoring single to center in the third that put Panhandle ahead, 2-1.
Jacobs shut down the TWU lineup over the next several frames, and the Bloomington, Indiana, native helped herself out by bouncing an RBI single through the left side that opened up a 3-1 Aggie lead in the sixth. Things were looking good for OPSU in the home half of the sixth, but an error prolonged the inning, and the Rams struck for five unearned runs – all with two outs.
Jacobs' final line came in at 6.0 innings pitched, one strikeout and just one earned run surrendered.
At the plate, Vasquez went 4-for-4 for her first career four-hit game. Lankford and Moreno also came through with two hits apiece.
What's up next: The Aggies close the series Friday with a doubleheader beginning at 12 noon.
