Game One Walk-Off Provides Momentum for Sweep of Home Opener
February 12, 2026
GOODWELL, Okla. The Oklahoma Panhandle State softball team (2-6) took advantage of a superb start from Marin Jacobs in its home opener, beating Kansas Wesleyan (0-2) 2-1 on a walk-off single before coming to life in a 10-6 victory in the nightcap.
Game 1: Excellent starting pitching was the main storyline, as Jacobs (1-2) spun a complete-game gem for her 23rd win in just 39 career appearances with the Aggies.
Haeley Vasquez ripped a double in the second inning and scored on Summer Marron's single to right, giving OPSU an early 1-0 advantage. The Coyotes got the run back, tying it at 1-1 in the third frame on a pair of singles and a stolen base.
For the next eight half-innings, KWU and OPSU could not muster a single base hit, as the home opener went into the bottom of the seventh still knotted, 1-1.
A one-out, soft single past the opposing pitcher for Jacobs broke the hitless drought, and the Aggies were suddenly in business with a double off the bat of Cassidy Stanhope, putting two in scoring position for Marron. The sophomore All-SAC first baseman delivered with a bloop single to center, walking off the Coyotes as Jacobs scored the winning run.
Jacobs closed with two strikeouts, allowing just four hits and a walk across seven innings. Offensively, Marron's two singles and two RBIs paced the Aggies.
Game 2: For as clean of a contest that was played in the opener, game two brought chaos as both teams committed errors and strung together hits to kick off a high-scoring affair.
A two-run first-inning double for KWU was answered with a three-run first from the Aggies. Aaliyah Dang-Gutierrez and Haley Emmerson opened the day with singles, before a wild pitch and a pair of Coyote errors gave OPSU a 3-2 lead.
Jordan Johnson (1-3) worked a perfect second inning, and the floodgates were immediately open in the bottom of the frame.
The Aggie bats started the second inning by taking advantage of an error, eventually leading to RBI base hits from Jules Leach, Stanhope and Vasquez that made it 7-2. OPSU tacked on with a double steal where Stanhope swiped home, making it 8-2 through two frames.
The Coyotes responded with a pair of hits and a run in the top of the third, but Rylee Hrbacek and Dang-Gutierrez responded with a double and triple, respectively, putting OPSU on top, 10-3. Dang-Gutierrez wound up scoring on her own triple, aided by an error.
KWU tallied two unearned runs in the fourth and made things semi-interesting in the seventh, but Panhandle State would come away with the 10-6 victory and home-opening sweep.
Johnson had her third complete game of the season, finishing her outing with six strikeouts.
What's up next: OPSU closes the series versus Kansas Wesleyan at home on Friday with a single game set to begin at 12 noon.
Game 1: Excellent starting pitching was the main storyline, as Jacobs (1-2) spun a complete-game gem for her 23rd win in just 39 career appearances with the Aggies.
Haeley Vasquez ripped a double in the second inning and scored on Summer Marron's single to right, giving OPSU an early 1-0 advantage. The Coyotes got the run back, tying it at 1-1 in the third frame on a pair of singles and a stolen base.
For the next eight half-innings, KWU and OPSU could not muster a single base hit, as the home opener went into the bottom of the seventh still knotted, 1-1.
A one-out, soft single past the opposing pitcher for Jacobs broke the hitless drought, and the Aggies were suddenly in business with a double off the bat of Cassidy Stanhope, putting two in scoring position for Marron. The sophomore All-SAC first baseman delivered with a bloop single to center, walking off the Coyotes as Jacobs scored the winning run.
Jacobs closed with two strikeouts, allowing just four hits and a walk across seven innings. Offensively, Marron's two singles and two RBIs paced the Aggies.
Game 2: For as clean of a contest that was played in the opener, game two brought chaos as both teams committed errors and strung together hits to kick off a high-scoring affair.
A two-run first-inning double for KWU was answered with a three-run first from the Aggies. Aaliyah Dang-Gutierrez and Haley Emmerson opened the day with singles, before a wild pitch and a pair of Coyote errors gave OPSU a 3-2 lead.
Jordan Johnson (1-3) worked a perfect second inning, and the floodgates were immediately open in the bottom of the frame.
The Aggie bats started the second inning by taking advantage of an error, eventually leading to RBI base hits from Jules Leach, Stanhope and Vasquez that made it 7-2. OPSU tacked on with a double steal where Stanhope swiped home, making it 8-2 through two frames.
The Coyotes responded with a pair of hits and a run in the top of the third, but Rylee Hrbacek and Dang-Gutierrez responded with a double and triple, respectively, putting OPSU on top, 10-3. Dang-Gutierrez wound up scoring on her own triple, aided by an error.
KWU tallied two unearned runs in the fourth and made things semi-interesting in the seventh, but Panhandle State would come away with the 10-6 victory and home-opening sweep.
Johnson had her third complete game of the season, finishing her outing with six strikeouts.
What's up next: OPSU closes the series versus Kansas Wesleyan at home on Friday with a single game set to begin at 12 noon.
