ALVA, Okla. – Northwestern Oklahoma State University softball kept their hitting going through the doubleheader Saturday afternoon against Ouachita Baptist University.
The Rangers had a good showing at the plate with multiple players earning three hits or more. Alexus Bailey led the team, continuing her outstanding weekend going 4-for-7 on the day with two runs and five RBI's while sending her first career homerun over the left field fence.
Following close behind her is Kalie Johnson, Jayden Flowers, and Jada Overby who all went 3-for-7 on the day. Johnson had two RBIs, three doubles, and three runs. Flowers had two RBIs, one from a deep sacrifice fly ball, and one double and Overby had two runs, two doubles, one RBI.
Game 1
The Rangers held Ouachita to no hits through the first two innings. Northwestern then drew first blood in the bottom of the second inning.
Overby sent a double deep off the left field wall to start off the inning. She advanced to third on a wild pitch to set up Flowers for RBI opportunity. Flowers came through, as she sent a sacrifice fly deep to left field, to allow Overby enough time to tag and cross home for the Ranger's first run.
Ouachita would come out bats blazing in the top of the third sending two balls over the fence, one being a grand slam by Madison Miller, giving the Tigers a 6-1 lead.
A squeeze play in the top of the fourth inning would add another run to Ouachita's lead, making the score 7-1.
The Tigers kept the power on their side earning three more runs in the top of the fifth inning on four hits with another two-run homer sent over left field, giving them a 10-1 lead.
The Rangers struggled to find their own momentum, knowing they needed to score in the bottom of the fifth inning. Kalie Johnson kept the Black-and-Red alive as she sent a lead of double in the left-center gap giving her team some life. Bailey sent a single up the middle to score Johnson but that was all the Rangers could get. Ouachita took the first game in five innings with a score of 10-2.
Game 2
The second game was the opposite of the first as the Rangers had seven different players with hits, four of them going 2-for-4 in Johnson, Bailey, Overby, and Flowers. Karly Murray also had a game holding Ouachita to only three runs on five hits, while getting six strikeouts.
The Black-and-Red started their offensive barrage in the first inning as Johnson led off with a double to left. Bailey drove a hard ground ball and was able to reach second from an errant throw. That same wild throw allowed Johnson to score giving the Rangers a 1-0 lead.
The Rangers took that momentum into their half of the second inning as they scored six runs on five hits. Overby sent another double to the left center fence and was followed by a bunt single from Lindsey McElroy to move Overby to third base. Abby Detar kept the rally going with a walk and was followed closely by Johnson as she stroked her second double of the day plating Overby and McElroy.
Bailey sent her first career home run deep over the left field fence scoring Detar and Johnson on the three RBI bomb. Morgan La Neve would continue the inning as she reached second after an errant throw from the third baseman. Flowers sent a shot into the right center gap for an RBI double as La Neve came around to scoring giving the Rangers a 7-0 lead.
The Rangers continued to hold the Tigers scoreless through the bottom of the fourth inning and used that drive to tack on another run. The Rangers were able to get the bases loaded for Overby, who sent an RBI single through the middle of the infield sending Bailey (single) across the plate giving the Black-and-Red an 8-0 lead.
Ouachita would not go down without a fight, as the Tigers earned three runs on three hits, one being a two-run triple to cut the lead 8-3.
The Black-and-Red earned their last run in the bottom of the fifth inning. McElroy walked and was followed closely by a Detar single. Both runners then advanced on a wild pitch allowing Bailey to earn her fourth RBI of the game as she sent a hard ground-out to the shortstop giving McElroy enough time to score.
Karly would finish the game in fashion holding the Tigers hitless through the last two innings and secured the Ranger's win with a 9-3 final score.
Northwestern softball plays their next game at home as they host old rivals in Southwestern Oklahoma State University on Tuesday afternoon. First pitch of the Great American Conference doubleheader begins at 3 p.m.
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