ALVA, Okla. – One of the many definitions of the term "fight" is to endeavor vigorously in the pursuit of winning.

Head Ranger softball coach Jill Webb repeatedly used that term when referring to how her team responded to a long weekend against a quality opponent this weekend at the Alva Rec Complex. That same vigorous pursuit will be relied on heavily as the Rangers face off against the number three-ranked team in the country this weekend in Magnolia, Ark. in the Southern Arkansas Lady Muleriders.

The Rangers kept the momentum rolling under interim head coach Webb this past weekend as they took just their second series win in the past two seasons over Arkansas-Monticello. Northwestern picked up three wins, giving them fives conference wins over the past two series, moving them up to ninth place in the conference. Just over mid-way through the season, the black-and-red have moved just one spot out of post-season positioning, and are keen on doing the little things correctly in order to continue to stay focused on each game moving forward.

"I think our biggest goal is to push ourselves into the top eight to make the conference tournament," coach Webb said, "That's where our most obtainable goal is this season. It's doing the little things, winning every inning, beating the teams we should beat, winning at least two games every series, that's the scrappy and chippy mentality that we have to have moving forward."

That mentality was evident all weekend against a solid Arkansas-Monticello squad, in particularly during extra innings of the final game of the series where the Rangers went down twice during the extra innings, only to have senior Amber Mills save the day with a double that scored the winning runs in the bottom of the 13^th inning. Hinton, Okla. native Karly Murray led the way for the whole team on the mound with a 188-pitch victory, just one day after fellow starter Madison Garza threw the first no-hitter of the NCAA Division II era for the Rangers. The duo of Garza and Murray combined with the relief efforts of freshman Kendall Jones allowed just three runs all weekend, showing that the pitching staff has emerged as a much more overpowering force as the season progresses.

"Our pitchers just stepped up big time for us this weekend," Coach Webb said, "I think it goes two ways as well, a defense wants to play for a pitcher that is confident and is throwing strikes and working hard and a pitcher wants to work for a defense that puts everything on the line for them."

All three members of the pitching staff as well as the scrappy defense that made great defenses stands all weekend will be put to the test against one of not only the Great American Conference's best offenses, but one of the elite offensive ball clubs in the country. Southern Arkansas (25-3, 15-1 in GAC) currently sits in a tie atop of the conference standings and will enter the series ranked third in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Poll. The Muleriders are coming off of a historic season under former Ranger head coach Jason Anderson in which they set multiple school records during a 53-11 season. The season concluded with a trip to the Division II World Series and saw many players receive post-season accolades including Maddie Dow, who garnered All-GAC Tournament MVP honors last season, as well as Kaylee Garner and Brooke Goad. The trio of Dow, Garner, and Goad were all selected as Pre-Season All-Americans by Fast Pitch News.

Coach Webb and her squad are anxious to prove a worthy fight to the conference's elite and continue the fight on into the second half of the season. Games have been rescheduled for both double-headers to begin on Saturday at 4 p.m. and then on Sunday at noon.