ALVA, Okla- The Rangers were set to finish the series with Southern Nazarene looking to complete the three-game series sweep to open conference play. Northwestern did exactly that with another offensive explosion winning Sunday afternoon 14-4 in seven innings.
The Northwestern offense was led by multiple players Sunday in Bryce Donovan and Brock Randels. Both players finished the afternoon leading the team in hits with three apiece and 4RBI's. All three of Donovan's hits were homeruns continuing his tremendous start to the season. Randels finished with a Homerun, triple and a single, with all four of his RBI's coming from the grand slam. Jake Darrow and Yugo Hamakawa finished the afternoon with two hits as well.
Colby Carlson started the afternoon for the Rangers picking up his second consecutive win. He finished the afternoon with five innings pitched, surrendering two runs on five hits. He struck out two while walking two. Jacob Uhing pitched in relief allowing two runs through two innings of work while striking out two as well.
Both teams jumped out fast trying to take an early advantage. Southern Nazarene scored one in the first inning after a leadoff double the Crimson Storm later scored on a ground out giving them the early 1-0 lead.
The Red-and-Black wasted no time responding in the bottom half of their inning after a Hamakawa single, Donovan stepped up to the plate and delivered with a two-run home run to left-center field to give the Rangers the 2-1 lead after the first inning.
After Carlson went back on the mound and shut down SNU in the top half of the second, the Rangers offense was ready to get things started once again. Randels tripled down the left-field line, he was then followed by leadoff hitter Darrow who came through with an RBI single up the middle.
The Crimson Storm answered in the top of the 3rd inning scoring a run with a single up the middle from Michel cutting the Northwestern lead down to 3-2. However, that would not last long as once again Donovan would have an answer as he drove the ball to left field for his second home run of the afternoon to extend the lead back to two runs with a 4-2 game.
After a scoreless fourth inning from both teams, Northwestern was ready to break the game open during the fifth. Hamakawa led off the frame with a single. After a pitching change, the Rangers would load the bases for Whitehouse. The Red-and-Black would score two runs off walks from Whitehouse and Erickson setting the stage for Randels. With the bases loaded after working the count full Randels took the 3-2 pitch to left field for a grand slam extending the Ranger lead to 10-2 with a 6 run fifth inning.
Uhing would come in and throw a scoreless sixth inning. The bottom half of the inning Donovan would get the Rangers on the board once again with his third homerun of the afternoon making it an 11-2 game.
Southern Nazarene would score two runs in the top of the seventh inning from a single up the middle followed by an RBI triple sending it to the bottom of the seventh with the Rangers leading 11-4.
The bottom of the seventh the Rangers would get three forcing the 10 run rule through seven innings picking up the win. With runners on first and second centerfielder, Darrow doubled to left field scoring both runners. Following a couple of walks, the Rangers look to seal the victory with Whitehouse stepping to the plate. He delivered with an RBI single sealing the win at 14-4 over the Crimson Storm, completing the three-game sweep to open conference play.
The Red-and-Black improve to 5-6 on the season and 3-0 in Great American Conference play. The Rangers will be back in action Tuesday evening in Edmond for a rematch against the University of Central Oklahoma. The Rangers will resume conference play Friday and Saturday next week in Shawnee, Oklahoma as they take on Oklahoma Baptist.
