ALVA, Okla. – The Northwestern Oklahoma State baseball team picked up a much-needed win in their series opener with East Central as the Rangers rode timely hitting to beat the Tigers 7-5. Under the bright Friday night lights of Myers Stadium, Northwestern got 5.1 strong innings out of starter Matt Goertzen who earned his first win of the season, allowing three earned runs on six hits and a walk while striking out four.

The Rangers' aggressive approach at the plate paid off early as Daschal Johnson (2-for-4, R) led off the home half of the 1^st with a double to right center that came around to score to give Northwestern a 1-0 lead.

After Luis Mendoza started the 2^nd with a two-bagger of his own, the black-and-red were able to capitalize on a pair of throwing errors by ECU that allowed Northwestern to grab a 3-0 advantage.

Goertzen settled in nicely after allowing a two-out hit in the 1^st, sitting down the next seven batters he faced. The 6'3 right hander found himself ahead 4-0 heading to the 4^th.

But a leadoff double from Bryce Dimitroff and a four-pitch walk set the stage for a three-run shot to center from first baseman Cale Ridling, cutting Northwestern's lead to 4-3.

ECU starter Logan Lannon (L, 0-5) went the distance for the Tigers, allowing just two earned runs on 12 hits without walking a batter. Lannon struck out six over his eight innings on the hill.

Northwestern tacked on three more in the 5^th when a costly two-out error by Ridling allowed Judah Zickafoose to reach. Justin Bundy (3-for-4, 2 RBI) drove in Zickafoose with a double to center followed by a triple from Jorin Van Amstel. Mendoza cashed Van Amstel on the next pitch with the third straight extra-base hit, giving Goertzen a four-run cushion to work with.

Head coach Ryan Bowen looked to lefty Ryan Marcoccia with one out and runners on first and second, and the freshman didn't disappoint as he got the next two batters to end the Tiger threat.

ECU would get two back in the 7^th to make it 7-5, but Braintree, Massachusetts native Matthew Bickford came in to minimize the damage as he got Ridling to fly out with the bases loaded.

Bickford was dominant in his 2.1 innings of work, striking out six batters without surrendering a hit to pick up his second save of the season, preserving the 7-5 win.

Up Next
The Rangers and Tigers will play a doubleheader tomorrow (Sat, March 10) at Glass Family Field at Myers Stadium. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. and can be seen live at www.riderangersride.com

For the latest news and updates on Ranger Baseball, follow @NWOSUAthletics on TWITTER or visit www.riderangersride.com