ALVA, Okla. – Northwestern Oklahoma State beat Ouachita Baptist University 8-5 and 3-2 Saturday to complete the back end of a series sweep on a windy day at Myers Stadium. The Rangers consistently battled the elements to take a series from the Tigers for the first time since 2013.
Game 1
After wrapping up the senior day festivities, Northwestern sent
Baron Phillips to the hill in what would be his first career start in his 24
th appearance as a Ranger. The Californian impressed in his 4.1 innings, holding the Tigers to just one earned and was credited with a no-decision. Phillips had his slider working for him as the redshirt sophomore notched eight strikeouts, including picking up K's on five of his first six outs recorded.
Ouachita Baptist led in the top of the 1
st after a leadoff error on the infield came around to score, putting the Rangers in an early 1-0 hole.
Jorin Van Amstel (2-for-3, 2 RBI) then led off the 2
nd with a walk and was driven in by
Luis Cintron, tying the game up 1-1.
Van Amstel picked up a pair of RBI's in the 3
rd when he roped a single into left center, scoring
Johnnuelle Ponce and
Luis Cintron to give the red-and-black a 3-1 edge. The Rangers were able to tack on two more in the 4
th after catcher
Brendan Kates ripped a triple off the wall in right making it 5-1.
The Tigers were able to chase Phillips with one out in the 5
th, as he was lifted in favor of
Nick Llorente. Llorente was able to get Northwestern back in the dugout, but not before the Tigers scored a couple to cut the deficit to two. Ouachita tied things up in the 6
th on another two-run frame.
Justin Bundy was able to reach on an error by the Tiger shortstop to lead off the 6
th, eventually scoring on a sac-fly by T.J. Kassner for what would turn out to be the game-winning run. Northwestern added some insurance in the 8
th with yet another double from Van Amstel, his 11
th of the year, extending the advantage to 8-5.
Senior
Matthew Bickford earned the win after throwing four innings in relief, allowing just two base hits and no earned runs in his last ever appearance at Myers Stadium. Northwestern took the first game 8-5.
Game 2
With
Matt Goertzen on the mound for game two, the Rangers were set up well to finish the series off strong. His offense helped out with some early run support as Van Amstel dumped his second two-bagger of the day into left field to score
Daschal Johnson and take a 1-0 lead.
The Tigers tied things up in the top of the 4
th, scoring a run on a fielder's choice, but Goertzen was able to strand a pair to minimize the damage.
Northwestern finally broke the deadlock in the bottom of the 5
th when Ponce cashed in Johnson with an RBI single before scoring himself on a wild pitch, giving the red-and-black a 3-1 edge late in the game.
Goertzen continued to deal through six but ran into trouble with one out in the 7
th and was pulled to bring in reliever
Tyler Bernhardt with runners on second and third. With the Tigers looking to notch things up, Bernhardt induced a ground ball to shortstop before getting a fly ball to shut the door, earning the save on senior day to secure a 3-2 win.
Before the games, Northwestern honored 11 seniors for their hard work and dedication to the Ranger baseball program.
Nathan Kane,
David Sanchez,
Jorin Van Amstel,
Collin Fouts,
Walker Wharton,
Cody Jones,
Nathan Weatherly,
Tyler Bernhardt,
Matthew Bickford,
Blake Jones and
Britten Shuck were all joined by family, friends and teammates for one final sendoff at Glass Family Field.
Up Next
The Rangers will have two days off before returning to action on Tuesday, April 17 when they host Oklahoma Wesleyan University at David Allen Memorial Ballpark in Enid, Okla. Northwestern Oklahoma State will host its annual Hot Dogs and Apple Pie event, put on by the Northwestern Foundation & Alumni Association.
For the latest news and updates on Ranger Baseball, follow @NWOSUAthletics on TWITTER or visit www.riderangersride.com
