ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Northwestern Oklahoma State baseball and the Ouachita Baptist Tigers took the field for the final two games of the series where the Rangers came away with an opening win, 5-3, but took the loss in the series finale, 5-2.
The Rangers had five batters go for multi-hit days with
Greg Carrington and
Jacob Long leading the way, both going 4-for-7 at the dish.
Jorin Van Amstel followed them up with a 3-for-7 doubleheader, while
Cole Anderson and
Steven Deckard each collected two hits.
Game 1
Sean Rydell started on the bump in game one of the doubleheader where the freshman went eight fantastic innings, giving up just three runs, all of which crossed in the first two innings.
Four Rangers had multi-hit games, led by Carrington who was 3-for-4 at the dish. Long (2-for-4), Van Amstel (2-for-4) and Deckard (2-for-3) were the other Black-and-Red hitters to collect multiple hits.
The Tigers started off the game with an early 2-0 lead on a triple to right field and two previous walks. The hosts scored a third in the very next inning, but the resilient Rangers would answer in the third.
Following a single by Carrington to lead off the inning, a wild pitch moved him up to second and he was eventually scored on a single to shortstop by Long.
More would come for the visitors, but not until the top of the sixth inning where a single by Kassner plated Delano for the Ranger's second run of the game. Two more runs were plated on a SAC fly by Carrington and a wild pitch by the Tiger hurler, scoring Deckard to make it a 4-3 advantage.
Through eight full innings, Rydell remained strong, shutting down the Tigers for six straight innings, while his team continued to provide insurance on his second double of the day, making it 5-3 in favor of the Rangers.
An opening double by OBU knocked out Rydell and Ranger head coach,
Sam Carel elected to go with
Nick Llorente who finished it off in just four batters faced, earning the save in the process.
The game two win of the series for Northwestern led to a rubber match in the series finale.
Game 2
David Sanchez started on the hill in game two of the day for the Rangers and went 5.2 innings, surrendering five total runs in the game.
Leading the Rangers at the plate in game two were Long and Anderson who were both 2-for-3 at the dish.
The Black-and-Red began the game with a single, but weren't able to plate any runs, but the Tigers again started off with an early run, making it 1-0.
Ouachita Baptist scored another in the bottom of the third on a hit-by-pitch, but with the bases juiced, Sanchez was able to get out of it with a double play groundout.
Northwestern found home plate in the top of the fifth when Kassner crossed home plate on a SAC fly by Carrington, his second of the day. The run made the score 2-1 in favor of the Tigers.
OBU put up another run in the sixth inning on a single through the left side and was followed up by SAC fly to left field to make it a big 4-1 lead. The Tigers added another on a roped double down the left field line.
The double off Sanchez brought Llorente into the game in the bottom of six.
Delano started off the final frame for the Rangers with a double to left field and was followed up by a single to left by Anderson moving him to third. Kassner then singled home Delano in the very next at bat, but that would be the only run the visitors could muster, falling in the game 5-2.
UP NEXT
Northwestern's next contest will come on Wednesday evening in Enid, Okla. for the Annual Hot Dogs and Apple Pie event at David Allen Ballpark with the first pitch being thrown at 7 p.m. against Southern Nazarene.
