Lopez Plays Hero as Seventh-Inning Dramatics Lead to Split at Ozarks
March 13, 2026
POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. The Oklahoma Panhandle Statebaseball team (9-13, 2-9 SAC) traveled to College of the Ozarks (15-10, 6-5 SAC) Friday, where the Aggies took the first game 7-5, and the Bobcats took the second game 7-6.
Both contests featured seventh-inning comebacks, as Devin Lopez brought in the game-winning run in the opener before the Aggies were denied a doubleheader sweep on a walk-off loss in the nightcap.
Game 1:Ozarksstarted off strong by scoring the firstfiveruns of the game, all of which came in the first three innings. The Aggieoffense could not get on the board early despite four singles through the opening three frames.
Unintimidated by the Bobcats'five-runlead, Braden Germundson closed his five-inning start with scoreless third and fourth innings, and OPSUfinally got itsbreakthroughin the top of the sixth inning. With runners on first and third,DevinLopez doubled down the left-field line, allowingManuel Bautista and Jackson Somerville to score.Neugyen Culmer kept the line moving, and Fernando Espino doubled two batters later to cut the deficit to two.
The Aggiescontinued to fight at the dishand on defense during the sixth inning where theymanagedto plate one more to bring the score to 5-4, Bobcats, going into the seventh.
Needing to score again to avoid a third straight SAC defeat,singles from Zoilo Pimentel and Juan Perez opened the inning before Somerville drew an eight-pitch walk. Up to bat with the bases loaded, Lopez felt that pressure and rose to thetask, bringing home two with a single to centerfieldthat made it 6-5, OPSU.
Panhandle State got an insurance run, and reliever Kage Ralstin (1-2) used a perfectly turned double play to help cap off two innings of scoreless relief work in the victory.
Game 2:The Aggies kept thepressure onearly in the second gamewith Genesis Nuneztaking advantage of a passed ball which brought the score to 1-0 goinginto the bottom ofthe first.
Ozarksresponded by scoring three runs in the bottom of the first, taking advantage of a walk and an errorby notching a pair of singles and a sacrifice fly.
After Culmer delivered a two-out, RBI single in the fourth that brought the score to 3-2, Bobcats,OPSU regained a 4-3 leadin the fifth following an error and a run-scoring singlefrom Somerville.
Still ahead 4-3, the Aggies' aggressive offensepaid off inthetop of the seventhwhen Somerville singled to rightfield to drive in David Garcia and Nunez.
Control issues helped the Bobcatsscore fourrunsafter the second out in the bottom of the seventh, as Ozarks ultimately ended the game with a walk-off single.
Despite the disappointing finish to the day, Miguel Montano pitched six innings and surrendered just two earned runs in a solid start. Somerville paced the Aggie lineup, going 2-for-3 with three RBIs, two stolen bases and a run scored in game two.
What'sup next:OPSUlooks totake the final game in the series Saturday, with first pitch scheduled for 12 noon.
Both contests featured seventh-inning comebacks, as Devin Lopez brought in the game-winning run in the opener before the Aggies were denied a doubleheader sweep on a walk-off loss in the nightcap.
Game 1:Ozarksstarted off strong by scoring the firstfiveruns of the game, all of which came in the first three innings. The Aggieoffense could not get on the board early despite four singles through the opening three frames.
Unintimidated by the Bobcats'five-runlead, Braden Germundson closed his five-inning start with scoreless third and fourth innings, and OPSUfinally got itsbreakthroughin the top of the sixth inning. With runners on first and third,DevinLopez doubled down the left-field line, allowingManuel Bautista and Jackson Somerville to score.Neugyen Culmer kept the line moving, and Fernando Espino doubled two batters later to cut the deficit to two.
The Aggiescontinued to fight at the dishand on defense during the sixth inning where theymanagedto plate one more to bring the score to 5-4, Bobcats, going into the seventh.
Needing to score again to avoid a third straight SAC defeat,singles from Zoilo Pimentel and Juan Perez opened the inning before Somerville drew an eight-pitch walk. Up to bat with the bases loaded, Lopez felt that pressure and rose to thetask, bringing home two with a single to centerfieldthat made it 6-5, OPSU.
Panhandle State got an insurance run, and reliever Kage Ralstin (1-2) used a perfectly turned double play to help cap off two innings of scoreless relief work in the victory.
Game 2:The Aggies kept thepressure onearly in the second gamewith Genesis Nuneztaking advantage of a passed ball which brought the score to 1-0 goinginto the bottom ofthe first.
Ozarksresponded by scoring three runs in the bottom of the first, taking advantage of a walk and an errorby notching a pair of singles and a sacrifice fly.
After Culmer delivered a two-out, RBI single in the fourth that brought the score to 3-2, Bobcats,OPSU regained a 4-3 leadin the fifth following an error and a run-scoring singlefrom Somerville.
Still ahead 4-3, the Aggies' aggressive offensepaid off inthetop of the seventhwhen Somerville singled to rightfield to drive in David Garcia and Nunez.
Control issues helped the Bobcatsscore fourrunsafter the second out in the bottom of the seventh, as Ozarks ultimately ended the game with a walk-off single.
Despite the disappointing finish to the day, Miguel Montano pitched six innings and surrendered just two earned runs in a solid start. Somerville paced the Aggie lineup, going 2-for-3 with three RBIs, two stolen bases and a run scored in game two.
What'sup next:OPSUlooks totake the final game in the series Saturday, with first pitch scheduled for 12 noon.
