SEARCY, Ark. – The Northwestern Oklahoma State University Softball team wrapped up their regular season on Saturday afternoon, getting swept in a four game set with #2 Harding University that cut their remarkable season turnaround just short of its goal of making the Great American Conference tournament. The Rangers hung around in game one of today's doubleheader but ultimately fell 4-2 before being overpowered by one of the nation's best teams in an 8-0 loss to the Bisons to wrap up their season.
Game 1
The Rangers entered play needing to pick up a victory in order to keep their season alive, but they faced a David vs. Goliath task in stealing one away from #2 Harding (50-6, 40-4 GAC). The Rangers had a couple of chances with the Bisons uncharacteristically committing three fielding errors, but the black-and-red were only able to scratch two runs across with starter Hannah Johnson (22-4, 1.43 ERA) tossing five and a third innings while only surrendering four hits and two walks.
Junior
Madison Garza was making her 28
th start of her 2017 campaign, but couldn't do enough to contain the high powered Bisons. Harding managed single runs off the right hander in the 2
nd, 3
rd, 4
th and 5
th innings, but Garza held her ground. The Edna, Texas pitcher threw five innings, allowing four earned runs off eight hits.
Northwesterns bats struggled to get much of anything going, picking up just four hits from
Madi Parrott,
Macy Madewell,
Jordan Sutton and
Megan Sanders.
Audrey Estes also drew two walks for the Rangers.
Harding would go on to win 4-2 in the day's first game.
Game 2
Northwestern started off on a good note in the top of the 1
st when
Jill Webb's squad got base hits from
Brittany Corrales, Parrott and Madewell, loading the bases with one out. But Harding's game two starter Autumn Humes shut the door, retiring the next two batters to get out of the inning.
Karly Murray kept the black-and-red in it for as long as she could, keeping the game scoreless until the 4
th when two Ranger errors allowed the Bisons to put up three runs in the inning, leaving the Rangers behind 3-0. Northwestern was unable to recover as Harding ended up taking game two 8-0 in Searcy.
Tied in the GAC standings with Ouachita Baptist, the Rangers were looking for some help from Oklahoma Baptist on Saturday to knock OUA out of the race. But a doubleheader rainout in Shawnee meant that the two
teams finished with identical records, with the Tigers holding the ultimate tie-breaker.
For the latest news and updates about Ranger Softball, follow @NWOSUAthletics on Twitter or visit www.riderangersride.com
