PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – The Prairie View A&M Panthers ended an eight-game losing streak Wednesday with a non-conference doubleheader sweep of visiting Oklahoma Panhandle State.
 
At Tankersley Field on the campus of Prairie View A&M, the Panthers opened the afternoon with a 7-3 win before taking a 19-12 slugfest win in the second contest. Both games were scheduled for seven innings.
 
Cody Den Beste led the way for the Panthers, going 4-for-5 with a double and three triples during the afternoon. He knocked home five runs in Prairie View A&M's win in game two.
 
The Panthers (10-26) return to Southwestern Athletic Conference play this weekend when they visit Grambling State. The Panthers and Tigers open the three-game series with a doubleheader Saturday, with first pitch scheduled for noon.
 
GAME ONE: Panthers 7, Aggies 3
The Panthers broke the game wide open at just the right time when they plated four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to secure the win. The win snapped Prairie View A&M's eight-game losing streak dating back to March 31.
 
Den Beste led off the inning with a triple to right-centerfield – his first of the day – and then immediately came home with the game-winning run on Connor Wrye's single. The Panthers scored some additional insurance runs when Jordan Jeanlouis knocked a bases-loaded single to score Wrye and Joseph Mack. Walter Wells capped the inning with a sacrifice fly to score Kevin Macias.
 
Jordan Johnson picked up the win in relief for the Panthers, pitching three scoreless innings and striking out four while scattering three hits. It was Johnson's first win of his collegiate career as he improved to 1-1 on the season.
 
Edward Robledo pitched four solid innings, striking out two batters and allowing three Aggie runs. Robledo exited the game while the Panthers trailed 3-2. OPSU starter Patrick Gonzales pitched five innings and gave up five runs, three of them earned.
 
Playing in his first home game since Feb. 20, Angel Avalos knocked the Panthers first two RBIs in the game. He opened the scoring with an RBI double that allowed Wells to score from third base. Avalos would advance to third on a wild pitch and later score on a passed ball by catcher Bo Ybarra.
 
After the Aggies scored the next three runs, Avalos tied the game with an RBI groundout that once again allowed Wells to score from third.
 
OPSU (3-36) tied the game in the top of the second inning with a home run from Jason Milburn, who entered the game with a .083 batting average.
 
GAME TWO: Panthers 19, Aggies 12
The Aggies briefly gave the Panthers a scare with a six-run, two-hit second inning, but a seven-run fourth gave the home team some breathing room as PVAMU won two games in a row for the first time since September and swept its first doubleheader of the season.
 
Den Beste knocked two triples and drove home five runs while Wrye went 3-for-4 with four RBIs to lead the Panthers to victory. Wells and Mack knocked home two runs apiece while hitting their first home runs of the season.
 
Robledo knocked his second and third hits of the season while also pitching an inning of relief in game two.
 
Jordan Foster pitched three innings and struck out two batters while scattering two runs and four hits to pick up the win for the Panthers. He improved to 2-1 on the season. Phillip Gay started and got out of the first inning with a 4-1 lead, but five walks, three in the second inning sent him back to the dugout.
 
With the score tied 9-9 going into the bottom of the fourth, the Panthers continued their hitting assault and claimed a lead it would not relinquish when Macias drew a bases-loaded RBI, scoring Den Beste. Robeldo followed with a single to score Wrye, which was then followed by Wells drawing an RBI walk to score Jeanlouis. The Panthers got two more runs when Carson Lee grounded into a double play. Macias scored from third, while Robledo scampered home almost undetected after the Aggies recorded the second out.
 
On Den Beste's second trip to the plate of the fourth inning, he knocked a triple to left-centerfield to score Avalos and Grant Dougherty.
 
Brayden Schuler took the loss for the Aggies after he was charged with four runs and unable to record an out during his appearance in the bottom of the fourth.
 
The Panthers would add three more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to give themselves a 19-11 lead. Lee scored on a throwing error after reaching third base on a wild pitch. Later in the inning Wrye's RBI double scored both Den Beste and Darrien Williams.