ALVA, Okla. – Northwestern Oklahoma State University baseball dropped the final two games of their series with Arkansas Tech on Sunday, falling 10-4 in the first game and 12-11 in the second. The Rangers nearly pulled off the impossible in game two as they hung eight runs in the bottom of the 7
th to make it a one-run game despite facing a 12-3 deficit heading into the final frame.
Game 1
The Rangers sent right-hander
Cole Jackson to the hill looking for his first win of 2018 after recording a no-decision in his only other start against Fort Hays State. The 6'2 redshirt junior impressed in his 4.2 innings of work, not allowing an earned run to the Wonder Boys while giving up four hits and one walk.
After a triple off the bat of Dylan McDearmon, Arkansas Tech capitalized when a passed ball got by catcher
Cole Anderson for the game's first run. But Northwestern would answer right back in bottom of the 4
th as
Judah Zickafoose (2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI) carried one high over the center field wall for a two-run home run to give the black-and-red the lead.
Northwestern picked up two more runs in the 5
th with a
Luis Cintron RBI double followed by an RBI single through the left side from lefty slugger
Justin Bundy to give the home team a 4-1 advantage.
Matt Goertzen took over on the mound for Jackson, getting out of trouble in the 5
th and tossing a clean 6
th for the Rangers. But ATU tagged Goertzen (L, 2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER) for four runs in the inning on five hits (with an error), giving the Wonder Boys a 5-4 lead.
But the Wonder Boys weren't done there. A five-run 8
th off senior
Matthew Bickford (0.2 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 2 ER) capped off a 10-4 victory for Arkansas Tech.
Game 2
Head coach
Ryan Bowen gave the ball to freshman
Ryan Marcoccia for the third and final game as the Rangers were looking to rebound and take the series win. Marcoccia enjoyed some early run support as
Justin Bundy drove in
Daschal Johnson in the 1
st and then
Judah Zickafoose was plated in the 2
nd to give the left-hander a 2-0 lead.
But Marcoccia's defense let him down in the 4
th as two fielding errors allowed Arkansas Tech to score two and tie the game.
The Rangers would briefly regain the lead in the bottom half of the 4
th when an errant throw down to third by Tech catcher Jake Harvey allowed Zickafoose to cruise home with a 3-2 advantage.
The Wonder Boys used a one-out rally in the 5
th to put up six runs off Marcoccia (L, 4.1 IP, 4 H, 4 ER) and reliever
Tyler Bernhardt, capitalizing on four hits and two more errors by Northwestern's infield. ATU would add four more in the 6
th off sophomore
Sean Rydell, sending the Rangers to bat in the 7
th facing a 12-3 deficit in their final at bat.
That's when things got interesting.
Brady Bradshaw came off the bench to pinch hit in the bottom of the 7th, opening the frame with his first hit of the season. After a wild pitch moved him to third,
Nathan Kane beat out an infield single to put runners on the corners. With
Logan Jones drawing a walk to load the bases,
Jorin Van Amstel drove the first pitch through the Arkansas Tech infield to score Bradshaw.
Things really started to get hairy for the Wonder Boys when pitcher Isaac Hale issued three straight bases-loaded walks, allowing the Rangers to make it 12-7 with just one out in the inning. Northwestern would continue their improbable rally, clawing their way all the way back to a 12-11 game before a fly-out to right closed the door on any comeback.
Up Next
The Rangers will hit the road for their next four games beginning with a single 9-inning game at Fort Hays State University on Wednesday, Feb. 28. Northwestern beat the Tigers in their home opener 7-6 back on Feb. 7 when the Rangers came out on top of a 13-inning game.
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