ALVA, Okla. – The Northwestern Oklahoma State University Rangers faced two tough loses in a doubleheader against the University of Arkansas at Monticello on Friday.
The Rangers continued to battle throughout both games, finding ways to get on base and improving their ability to hit the ball in Great American Conference play.
Caden Cunningham and
Madison Friest was the only Ranger to tally two hits on the day, Cunningham tallied two in the first game while Friest tallied one in each game, with one RBI.
Morgan La Neve sent a long ball over in the first to record her first collegiate homerun and recorded two walks during the second game.
Game 1
The first game of the day started with a leadoff homerun from the opposing UAM offense, but
Karly Murray and the Ranger defense rallied back and finished the inning with three straight outs. Although the Black-and-Red went back and forth with UAM, getting runners on in the first three innings, they were unable to score any of them.
UAM came roaring back in the top of the fourth inning with two doubles and a hard ground-out scoring two more runs, extending their lead 3-0. They continued their rally into the top of the fifth inning scoring four more runs on five hits.
La Neve got the Rangers on the board in the bottom of the sixth inning with a lead-off homerun sent deep over the left center fence. UAM answered back tacking on their final run in the top of the seventh inning to make the score 8-1.
Northwestern didn't give up hope, with their backs to the wall the Black-and-Red rallied back.
Morgan Kirk started the inning reaching first after getting hit by a pitch, her second of the game.
Kalie Johnson followed with a line drive off the left fielder's glove moving Kirk to third, while reaching second herself. Friest broke open the scoring with an RBI single up the middle to score Kirk.
Shelbie Roberson came into to pinch run for Friest.
La Neve earned her second RBI of the game grounding out to second base, sending Johnson home to score.
Ashlie Green continued the two-out rally with an RBI of her own singling through the left side, plating Roberson. Unfortunately, the Rangers couldn't score again taking the loss to UAM with a final score of 8-4.
Game 2
Runs were harder to come by in the second game with only Kirk and Friest tallying one hit a piece. The Rangers were able to hold Arkansas-Monticello scoreless until he second inning when a few miscues by the Ranger defense allowed UAM to score giving them a 1-0 lead.
UAM came into the third inning swinging, scoring three more runs off four hits to extend their lead to 4-0.
The Rangers defense stepped up in the top of the fourth and fifth innings to keep UAM from tacking onto their lead.
A lead-off walk by Green in the bottom of the fifth inning gave the Rangers' some fire. Roberson came in to pinch run for Green and advanced to second on a ground-out from
Alexus Bailey.
Alexa Moses sac bunted Roberson to third base, but the Black-and-Red were unable to score her.
UAM earned their final run of the game in the top of the sixth inning with some aggressive baserunning, and the Rangers were unable to answer dropping the second half of the doubleheader to UAM 5-0
The Rangers will play again tomorrow morning at 11 at the Ranger Softball Field in the Alva Recreational Center for their second half of the series against UAM.
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