GOODWELL, Okla. - Northwestern Oklahoma State traveled to Goodwell, Okla. this afternoon to take on the Aggies of Panhandle State in a midweek non-conference game and came away with a tight 7-6 victory.
Getting the start on the hill for the Rangers was freshman,
Tyler Havener who recorded five innings of work. In his five innings, he allowed five runs on two hits and collected a strikeout along the way.
Coming on in relief were
Collin Fouts, who would earn the win, went two innings,
Nick McKinney (0.2),
Thomas Sander (1.1) and
David Sanchez (1.0).
Leading the visitors at the dish was redshirt freshman,
Daschal Johnson who has been on a tear as of late, going 3-for-4 and scoring a run in the process. Only one other Ranger stick had a multi-hit game for the Black-and-Red as
Jacob Long was a solid 2-for-4 at the plate. As a collective unit, the visitors posted an eight-hit outing.
Following two straight outs for the visitors in the top of the first, the Northwestern bats started to pick it up, starting with a single to left field by designated hitter, Long. He was immediately brought around on a double to right center by Van Amstel, making it an early 1-0 lead.
The Aggies were held scoreless through the first two innings of play, but were able to tie it up on a single to center, but the tie ballgame wouldn't last for long.
In the top of the fourth, the Rangers put up three runs on a hit by Johnson, who eventually scored on a Carrington walk. One more run crossed on a SAC fly and the final run of the inning came across on a wild pitch, scoring Kane to make it a 4-1 lead.
OPSU would storm back however as they made it a one-run ballgame in the bottom of four and would take the lead in the fifth on a walked in run and a SAC fly to left field.
Again however, the Rangers would have an answer as the visitors tied it up at five apiece on a balk by the Aggie hurler. Northwestern wasn't done putting runs on the board however as Johnson came up big again at the plate, bringing around two on a single and an error by the rightfielder.
The seesaw battle would continue in the bottom half of the seventh however as the Aggies would tack on another run of their own to make it 7-6 with the advantage still with the Black-and-Red.
A leadoff single by Kane in the eighth looked promising for the Rangers, but three straight outs would leave the junior stranded on third.
Following an open eighth inning for the Aggies, Northwestern closer, Sanchez entered the contest for the save opportunity in the ninth and earned his second of the year.
UP NEXT
Northwestern will travel to Ada, Okla. this weekend to take on cross-state rival East Central and will be looking to pick up their first conference series win. Game one will be Friday afternoon at 2 p.m.
