SHAWNEE, Okla.- Rangers looked to respond Saturday afternoon after dropping the series opener Friday night. However, the Bison had other thoughts as they went on to win Game one 14-10 and won game two 12-7 Saturday afternoon. Oklahoma Baptist completed the sweep of the Rangers and now improve to 15-0 in the head to head series since the Division II era.
Game 1:
Rangers finished the game with 10 runs on 10 hits in game one of the day. Yugo Hamakawa and Bryce Donovan led the teams in hits with two apiece. They were followed by six different players each with one. Three players in Daschal Johnson, Brett Erickson and Brock Randels had two RBI's each in game one. Donovan, Colton Whitehouse and Billy Rogers each had one to round it out.
Colby Carlson was set to start game one for the Rangers. He went one inning giving up three runs on four hits while walking one. He was relieved by Grant French who went three and a third innings surrendering five runs (four earned) with two walks in his outing. Kaleb Honea finished the game outgoing three and two-thirds allowing six runs on seven hits.
The Bison jumped out early on in game one getting three runs across the board to start the bottom of the first inning. Ramon Enriquez stepped to the plate hitting an RBI double to right field sending the first run across the plate. The next batter would do the same thing hitting an RBI double to right field. Hector Ruvalcaba would follow the doubles with an RBI single to left field to extend the lead to 3-0.
The game would stay tied until the third inning when Randels stepped up to the plate. Randels would hit a solo homerun in the third inning to cut the deficit to 3-1 after Johnson would get on, Donovan would step up and rip a single to center bringing the deficit down to one run. After three innings the Rangers trailed 3-2.
The Bison would respond in the fourth inning as Bartolome would complete damage once more with this time a two-RBI single to left field making the game 5-2 after four innings of play.
Rangers would respond though with a breakout fifth inning scoring seven runs in the top half of the fifth. Whitehouse would drive in Hamakawa by reaching on an error. Rogers would hit a sacrifice fly to bring the deficit down to 5-4 Rangers trailed. With Whitehouse and Parker Base on-base Erickson would give the Rangers their first lead of the game with a three-run homerun to make the game 7-5 in favor of the Rangers. Johnson would extend the lead to 9-5 with a two-run homerun to left field scoring Randels.
Bison would come right back though in their half of the fifth inning with five runs to take the lead back at 10-9. They would get a two-RBI single from Prince, which would then be followed by a Pledger two-run home run to even the score at the time. Bison would then follow that up with another home run giving the Bison the 10-9 lead at the end of the fifth.
Bison would not stop there adding three more in the sixth inning with an RBI triple, a groundout and then finally an RBI double to extend their lead to 13-9 in the sixth inning.
The teams would trade runs in the seventh inning Rangers scored on a Randels sacrifice fly, while the Bison scored on a homerun.
The eighth and ninth inning would be scoreless frames as the final score in game one would be the Bison 14 over the Rangers 10.
Game 2:
Rangers would score seven runs on seven hits in the second game of the doubleheader. Randels would lead the team in hits with two hits and was followed by five players each with one. Whitehouse would lead the team with two RBI's in the game. Johnson, Hamakawa, Marques Paige, Randels and Erickson would all follow with one RBI each.
Blake Hoffman would get the starting call for Game two. He would allow seven runs on seven hits in 2.2 innings of work picking up his second loss of the season. He was relieved by Brody Shook who lasted 2.1 innings giving up two runs on three hits and two strikeouts. The final pitcher of the game for the Rangers was Koby Hudson who pitched one inning surrendering three runs on four hits.
The game started with a positive note as Johnson led the game off with a solo homerun to give the Rangers the early 1-0 lead.
However, the Bison were ready to respond as they answered with three runs in the bottom of the first inning first by a Pradd homerun followed by a two-RBI single from Bartolome.
Paige would have a quick answer for the Rangers with a home run in the top of the second inning to cut the deficit to 3-2.
Oklahoma Baptist would have a big answer in the bottom of the third inning when they would extend their lead with a five-run inning. The rally started with a Bartolome solo homerun. With runners on Prince would step up hitting a double down the left-field line which drove in two more runs for the Bison. Prince would later score on a balk and bring the game to a 7-2 BIson lead.
Northwestern would close the gap in their half of the fourth inning with three runs. Whitehouse would knock one in on a sacrifice fly to left field. With Tyler Garcia on, Randels would drive him home with an RBI triple to right field. Randels would score on an error later in the inning making it a 7-5 game.
Bartolome would hit his second homerun of the game with a two-run homerun in the bottom of the fourth to bring the OBU lead right back at four runs with a 9-5 game.
In the sixth inning, the Bison would extend their lead to 12-5 from a Gomez two-run homerun followed by Ruvalcaba RBI single.
Rangers were not going to give up but their comeback bid would fall short. Hamakawa would hit an RBI single to make the score 12-6. Rangers would then load the bases for Whitehouse as he would draw a walk making it 12-7. That is where the comeback would end as the Bison retired the side and won the game 12-7.
With the loss, the Rangers drop to 5-10 on the season and 3-3 in Great American Conference play. Northwestern will be back in action Tuesday afternoon as they travel to Kansas to take on Newman University with first pitch scheduled for 2 PM.
