ALVA, Okla. – The Northwestern Oklahoma State University Rangers faced off against Arkansas Tech University in their second half of the series Saturday morning. The Rangers were able to get both games in and avoid the rain.
Arkansas Tech's pitching held the Rangers to only six hits on the day as the Black-and-Red struggled to create and hold any momentum in either half of the doubleheader.
Madison Friest shined through the gloomy weather as she went 3-for-4 on the day, going a perfect 2-for-2 in the first game. Ashlie Green, Taylor Russell, and Jada Overby were the only other Rangers to earn a hit with one each, while Abby Detar earned the only RBI of the day.
Game 1
The Rangers struggled to stop the offense of the number two ranked team in the Great American Conference. The power of the Golden Suns showed throughout the game as they came out in the top of the first inning with three runs off four hits to give them a 3-0 lead.
Arkansas Tech continued to score in every inning of play forcing the Rangers into a tough position early. A lone single by Friest was all Northwestern could manage in their half of the first.
As the Golden Suns pitching staff stepped up to shut the Rangers down, their offense continued to explode. They scored six runs in the top of the second on only three hits but showed off their speed throughout the inning to give them a 9-0 lead as the game headed into the bottom of the second.
The Rangers only run came in the bottom of the second. Green hit a sharp single up the middle to get passed a diving Golden Sun. Caden Cunningham came in to pinch run and got all the way to third on a sacrifice bunt by Lindsey McElroy, and a passed ball. Detar slapped a slow ground-out to the right side to give Cunningham enough time to cross the plate which made the score 9-1.
The Golden Suns answered back in the top of the third with four more runs on four hits, extending their lead to 13-1.
Another lone single by Friest, her second of the game, gave the Rangers a rallying point in their half of the third. Unfortunately, she was left on base for the second time.
Four more runs came in the top of the fourth as the Golden Suns earned five hits to give them their final count of seventeen runs as they made the score 17-1 in favor of Arkansas Tech.
Pinch hitter Russell got her first hit of the day as she sent one screaming into right field but was stranded on second base.
The Rangers held the Golden Suns in the top of the fifth, preventing them from extending their lead. However, the Black-and-Red were sat down in order in the bottom of the fifth inning to give Arkansas Tech the win in five, due to the run rule, with a final score of 17-1.
Game 2
Allison Wells started off in the circle well as she held the Golden Suns scoreless through the first two innings. Friest earned her third hit of the day in the bottom of the first for the Rangers. Morgan La Neve got on base as she was hit by a pitch to move Friest into scoring position but that was all the further the Rangers got.
Arkansas Tech earned their first runs of the game in the top of the third inning as they scored three runs on four hits, one of those came from a two-run homerun to give them a 3-0 lead.
Two more runs came from the Golden Suns in their half of the fourth on one hit as they pulled ahead 5-0.
Kristen Dempsey, who led the Golden Suns in the circle with five strikeouts in the shutout, sat the Rangers down in order in the bottom of the fourth. The Golden Suns tacked on five additional runs on six hits, with a triple and two homeruns in the mix.
The Rangers were unable to answer in their half of the fifth as they allowed another five inning lose to Arkansas Tech with a final score of 10-0.
Northwestern will play in Weatherford, Oklahoma this Tuesday for their second doubleheader against Southwestern Oklahoma State to decide the outcome of the series. The first pitch will be set for 2 p.m.
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