ALVA, Okla.  – Northwestern Oklahoma State University Softball got a much needed doubleheader sweep over Great American Conference opponent Ouachita Baptist as they make their late-season playoff push to move up in the standings. Newly appointed head coach Jill Webb's Rangers had their high powered offense on full display Friday as they swatted six home runs led by Macy Madewell who had herself an afternoon, launching three home runs in her 3-for-4 performance. Northwestern took game one 9-0 before staving off a Tiger rally to hang on to an 8-5 win in game two.

Game 1
Northwestern needed just an hour and four minutes to handle Ouachita in the series opener on a windy afternoon at the Alva Recreation Complex. Madison Garza picked up her eighth win after tossing five innings of shutout softball. The Edna, Texas native held the Tigers to just three hits without walking a batter and notching four strikeouts in the run-rule shortened contest.

The Rangers capitalized on a trio of Tiger errors in the opening frame as they picked up a pair of early runs. Despite ranking near the top of the conference in fielding percentage, Ouachita Baptist's defense struggled all day long while uncharacteristically committing eight errors over the course of two games.

Northwestern got the bats going in the 2^nd when three straight hits were capped off by Madi Parrott and her two run double to the fence in left. Macy Madewell kicked off her banner day in the 4^th by crushing a three run shot over the wall in dead center for her seventh home run of the 2017 campaign.

Entering play hitting .258 as a team, the Tigers were unable to solve Garza as the right hander kept the visitors at bay for the better part of the afternoon. Ouachita almost cracked Garza in the 4^th when a leadoff single by Sarah Johnson was followed by a stand-up double from Macy Nantz, but the junior pitcher sat down three straight to end the threat, stranding runners at second and third.

A 9-0 contest was ended early by run rule as the Rangers handed the Tigers their third straight loss.

Game 2
The long ball was the theme of the second game of Friday's doubleheader as the Northwestern offense combined to hit an impressive five home runs. Madewell stole the show as the 5'3 right fielder clobbered two more to bring her season total to nine, good enough for a tie for fourth in the GAC.

Karly Murray was in the circle for the black-and-red in game two and the Hinton, Oklahoma product cruised through the first three innings before the Tigers broke through for their first run of the day in the 4^th inning. A leadoff single and an error by Parrott came around to score, but that would be all in the frame.

Northwestern got the crowd into it right from the get-go when Madison McGraw sent one into the jet stream with one out in the 1^st. Madewell, not to be outdone, tagged her second of the day to give the Rangers a 2-0 first inning advantage. But the bats didn't cool off there…

After Megan Sanders reached safely in the bottom of the 2^nd, Peyton Garrett sent a charge into a ball for her second home run of the season. Madewell would launch another one in the 3^rd inning just before junior Jordan Sutton got in on the action as the designated hitter took a 2-0 offering over the wall in left center for her first of the season.

All was going well for the black-and-red until Ouachita gave Webb a scare by putting up four runs on Murry in the 6^th inning to narrow the lead to 8-5 in favor of Northwestern. But Webb elected to send the right hander out there to try to close out her seventh victory and she did just that. Northwestern hung on to take game two 8-5 for their second doubleheader sweep of the year.
 
Up Next
The Rangers will be back in action tomorrow (April 15) at the Alva Rec Complex as they host Ouachita Baptist for the series finale. Saturday will see Northwestern honor four seniors playing in Alva for the final time in Alexis Hayes, Megan Sanders, Amber Mills and Morgan Lewis. First pitch is slated for 12 p.m. (weather permitting)

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