MONTICELLO, Ark. - It was a close two games for the opening day between Northwestern Oklahoma State softball and Arkansas-Monticello as they would split the afternoon.
The Rangers had several players that had quality plate appearances, as six players had multi-hit days.
Jordan Sutton,
Morgan Kirk and
Brittany Corrales all had three hits, while
Madi Parrott and
Peyton Garrett collected two apiece.
GAME 1
In a quality start,
Madison Garza began the game in the circle as she gave up just five hits in the contest as well as three runs. She did record six K's however in the seven innings of work.
The Red-and-Black were paced by senior, Parrott who finished with two RBIs on two hits, one of which was a two-run homerun in the third, which happened to be the first scoring play of the game.
The visitors struck again in the sixth with a big double by Sutton, scoring
Macy Madewell on the play to make it 3-0.
The Blossoms came back with a vengeance over the next two innings however, knotting it up at three, bringing free softball to the park.
Following the final inning in the scheduled seven inning contest, neither team was able to put anything together offensively until the 10th when the Rangers came through with an RBI single by Sutton who once again came up in the clutch and delivered.
The run turned out to be the knockout punch as
Karly Murray came in at the beginning of the eighth and shut the Blossoms down over the next three frames to win 4-3. The win turned into being Murray's fourth straight.
GAME 2
Although she had a tough game at the plate in game one, Corrales picked it up in the second as she was the only Ranger to have two hits.
Murray started in game two and threw a gem, giving up just two runs, but unfortunately it was in the final inning where a double down the left field line ended it.
UAM started off the scoring in the fourth inning on a homer, making it 1-0.
Northwestern was trailing by just the one run until the final frame where a single to the shortstop by Corrales tied it up at one apiece, but that wasn't the end of the scoring in the game. In their very next at bat, the hosts had a walkoff double with two outs, bringing the final score to 2-1 over the Rangers.
UP NEXT
Northwestern and Arkansas-Monticello will play two more in a rubber-match tomorrow morning, beginning at 10 a.m.
