ALVA, Okla. – Northwestern Oklahoma State split day two of their series with Arkansas-Monticello, winning the first game 7-3 before dropping an extra innings affair 11-8 in the series finale.
Game 1
Cole Jackson pitched his way to his second win of the season in the first game as the right-hander was able to tame a potent Weevil lineup for 5.1 innings, holding the Great American Conference's top team to just three runs despite giving up six hits and five walks.
The Rangers jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the first two frames. After Jouhnnuelle Ponce drove in
Luis Cintron in the 1
st,
TJ Kassner collected an RBI on a sac-fly to left scoring Luis
Mendoza in the bottom of the 2
nd.
Jorin Van Amstel gave Northwestern a 3-0 edge when he deposited a first pitch fastball from Weevil starter Peyton Sullivan high over the wall in left, the Amsterdam native's fourth of the 2018 campaign.
Jackson was able to pitch his way out of a couple jams in the 4
th and 5
th, getting timely double-play balls to end the UAM threats.
Northwestern would go on to add two more in the bottom of the 5
th on a sac-fly from Van Amstel and then a single through the left side that scored
Judah Zickafoose to make it 5-0 for the home team.
Arkansas-Monticello was finally able to chase Jackson in the 6
th as Sean Wagner cranked a three-run home run, cutting the Ranger lead to just two.
Ryan Marcoccia then came into the game and got the first batter he faced to line out to short, maintaining the 5-3 advantage.
Zickafoose led off the 7
th with his team-leading seventh home run of the season, a solo shot off UAM reliever Brandon Ross.
Justin Bundy joined the hit parade in the 8
th as the left-handed hitter went deep for his fifth of the year to push the Ranger lead to 7-3.
Senior
Matthew Bickford picked up his third save as he needed just three pitches to induce a game-ending double play, securing the 7-3 win.
Game 2
Northwestern picked up right where they left off in the first game, taking an early 1-0 lead when Ponce scored
Daschal Johnson with a sac-fly to right.
The Rangers broke the game wide open in the 3
rd inning, scoring five runs on five hits to grab an impressive 6-0 lead over the Weevils. Five straight Rangers reached base to start the inning, capped off by an RBI double to right-center by catcher
Brendan Kates. Kates had an impressive afternoon at the dish, going 5-for-7 with a walk and drove in one.
Armed with a 7-0 lead, the Rangers felt confident in starter
Walker Wharton, and he threw well in his first four innings of work. But four straight base hits in the 4
th and a high pitch count forced head coach
Ryan Bowen to make a move to the bullpen for
Sean Rydell. UAM would go on to score three in the 5
th to cut the Ranger lead to 7-3.
Things would get worse for Northwestern in the 6
th after Monticello put up five runs off Rydell, Bickford and
Brandon Nesseralla to take an 8-7 lead into the 7
th.
Down to their second last out in the bottom of the 7
th, first baseman
Steven Deckard launched a ball over the scoreboard to tie the game up at 8-8.
Nesseralla pitched well in his 3.1 innings of relief, but a two-out mistake out over the plate to Wagner was sent over the fence in left in the top of the 9
th, leading to an 11-8 Arkansas-Monticello victory.
Up Next
The Rangers will get the week off before hitting the road to Magnolia, Ark. for a three-game set against Southern Arkansas University. The two teams will play a single 9-inning game Friday, March 23 before a doubleheader on Saturday.
For the latest news and updates on Ranger Baseball, follow @NWOSUAthletics on TWITTER or visit www.riderangersride.com
