ALVA, Okla. -The Rangers opened conference play Friday afternoon, splitting the doubleheader by losing the first game 12-5 but responding with a come from behind victory to win the second game 4-3 in seven innings.
With the split doubleheader, the Rangers move to 2-4 on the season, 1-1 in conference play. Arkansas Monticello goes to 1-1 in conference play and overall on the season.
Game One:
The Red-and-Black got two hits from Yugo Hamakawa with two RBI and a run scored in game one, including a solo homerun in the ninth inning. Marques Paige hit a two-run homerun for his two RBI game one performance. Daschal Johnson, Jake White, and Jose Rubalcava had the other hits for the Rangers in game one.
Ethan Swanson got the game one nod for the Rangers going five innings, allowing six runs on six hits with six strikeouts while walking one. Blake Hoffman relieved him with a three-inning six runs on six-hit performance while striking out six as well.
In the second straight game, the Rangers tried to take advantage of a fast start. The Rangers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead after Johnson got hit by a pitch. Paige made Monticello pay for it with a 2-run homerun to straightaway centerfield. Swanson would retire the side following a one-out double to hold the 2-0 lead.
Rangers continued the early success following one-out hits from White and Rubalcava. Norsen would drive a run in with a groundout to second. Hamakawa would then come through with a 2-out RBI single to give the Rangers a 4-0 lead in the second.
The Weevils would answer, though in the second inning from a Gaela RBI double following a leadoff hit by pitch. Swanson would escape further damage with a strikeout.
Arkansas Monticello would strike again in the third, though with one out, they would load the bases with a hit batter, singled, then a walk. With the bases loaded and one out. Borman would drive in a run by getting hit with a pitch, followed by Jaco grounding into a fielder's choice to bring the Weevils within one. Clary for the Weevils flew out to end the inning as the Rangers still led 4-3.
In the fourth, the Weevils struck again with a Muckleroy solo homerun, evening the game at four. Arkansas Monticello would take over after the 4-4 tie. In the fifth, Johnson and Borman would each hit solo homeruns giving the Weevils their first lead of the day at 6-4.
Hoffman would take over in the sixth, but Arkansas Monticello would continue their offensive power in game 1. Muckleroy came up following a leadoff single, hitting a two-run homerun for the Weevils. Johnson then added another run for the Weevils with an RBI double to give Monticello a 9-4 lead.
The game would stay that way until the eighth, when Arkansas Monticello would extend their lead. The Weevils offense would draw a walk and a single before hitting a three-run homerun from Piraino, making it a 12-4 game. Hamakawa would try to spark a rally hitting a solo homerun in the ninth, but that would be all the Rangers could get. Arkansas Monticello won game one 12-5.
Game Two:
The Rangers finished with four runs on 10 hits in game two. Brett Erickson led the team in hits with three on the afternoon along with two runs scored, including the game-winning run. Jake White, Preston Lonadier, and Paige each had two. White led the team with two RBI, with Paige having the third one for the Rangers.
Scott Creedon picked up his second straight win on the season with six innings pitched, allowing three runs on four hits while walking two. He struckout five along the way. Kaleb Honea would come into the ninth for the save. He would finish the game off in 10 pitches, striking out two in the inning.
In the second game, the Weevils had a quicker start. After a quick first inning by both pitchers, the Weevils jumped on the board in the second inning. Following a leadoff walk, Shepherd hit a two-run homerun to right field to give UAM an early 2-0 lead.
The game would stay that way through the first three innings at 2-0. The game started as a pitching duel through the first three innings with only two hits between the two teams, including the one homerun. There were five strikeouts through three as well.
After the Rangers left one stranded in the top half of the fourth, the Weevils would tack on another run in the bottom half of the fourth. A Ranger error allowed Shepherd to get to second as Thompson would hit an RBI single making the game 3-0.
The Red-and-Black started their comeback in fifth, with Johnson getting things started with a two-out triple to right-center. Paige doubled down the left-field line to put the Rangers on the board to cut the deficit to 3-1 before the ending.
In the sixth inning, Erickson got things started with a bunt single. White followed with an RBI double to right-center to score Erickson. Rangers would load the bases but leave them stranded following a Johnson fly out. After Creedon struckout two Weevils to end the sixth, the Rangers trailed 3-2 going into the final inning.
Hoffman got things started by reaching base safely. Erickson continued the inning, starting the two-out rally but hitting a single to centerfield to bring up White. With runners on first and second back-to-back, wild pitches allowed Rubalcava, who pinch ran for Hoffman, to score. With the game knotted at three, White delivered with an RBI double to give the Rangers their first lead of the game in their final at-bat.
Kaleb Honea would enter the game in the bottom of the seventh to close the game out. He would strike out the first two hitters to start the inning and then ended the game with a groundout back to the mound to earn his first save of the season. Rangers completed the comeback win with a final score of 4-3
The Red-and-Black will return to action Saturday afternoon to close out the series against Arkansas Monticello with a single game with the first pitch scheduled for Noon.
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