Alva, Okla.- The Red-and-Black opened their three-game series with a 9-3 victory, on Friday night, against the Reddies of Henderson State University. The Rangers held a 3-1 lead before breaking the game open in the eighth behind a six-run inning to take a commanding 9-1 lead before closing out the Friday night victory. The win improves the Rangers record to 6-7 on the season, 5-5 in Great American Conference play, while Henderson State falls to 8-6 and 5-5 in conference play.
The Red-and-Black offense, led by Dylan Norsen, as he provided two of the Rangers' seven hits in the game. The Rangers would get a hit from Yugo Hamakawa, Garrett Crone, Thomas Beiswanger, Parker Base, and Brett Erickson, finishing with one hit each. Base led the Rangers with 2RBIs on the evening. Chase Orrock, Hamakawa, Marques Paige, Crone, and Preston Lonadier contributed one RBI on the night to help the Rangers to their 9-3 victory, with three of the RBI coming off the bench. Daschal Johnson would finish the game with two runs scored with two stolen bases in the opening series win.
Scott Creedon received the opening series start earning his third victory on the season to move to 3-1 on the 2021 season. Creedon would throw six innings allowing one earned run while striking out seven Reddies hitters allowing five hits and two walks. Grant French relieved Creedon on the evening, picking up a three-inning save for his first save on the season. French would allow two earned runs on three hits while striking out two through the three innings.
The Reddies would try to get things started early, with a double in the top of the first inning, but Creedon would be able to escape any damage after striking one out to get out of the inning. Rangers went down quietly 0-0 after the first.
Henderson State threatened again in the second inning after Creedon retired the first two in order before the Reddies to load the bases. Creedon would pitch to a fly out to centerfield for the final out of the inning.
The visitors would strike in the third following hit batsmen with two outs. Kaden Argenbright would hit an RBI double to right field to score Myers to take a 1-0 lead through three innings. Austin Cross, the Reddies starting pitcher, wouldn't allow a hit through three innings to hold the 1-0 advantage.
Henderson State would load the bases in the top half of the inning. However, Creedon would escape any damage carrying the momentum to the Rangers side. In the home half of the inning, following back-to-back walks and Johnson stole second to set up second and third for Paige. Paige delivered with a sacrifice fly to deep right field to even the score. Crone followed with an RBI single to left to give the Rangers their first lead of the game. That is where the inning would stand, with the Rangers holding a 2-1 lead.
Creedon continued the momentum into fifth, striking out two of the three outs in the fifth. Erickson started the two-out rally with a walk, followed by a Norsen single to bring up Hamakawa. The Rangers' shortstop would deliver with an RBI single to center field to push the Rangers lead to 3-1.
In Creedon's final inning of work, he retired the Reddies to strike out Mitchell looking to end his six-inning of work. Grant French would take over in the seventh for Creedon, working a 1-2-3 inning. Following another scoreless frame from French, the Rangers would break the game open in the 8th.
The Rangers loaded the bases in the 8th with nobody out. Lonadier hit in a run into a fielder's choice allowing Johnson to score. Parker Base would come off the bench and delivered with a 2RBI single over Myers, the Reddies' shortstop. White would have a sacrifice bunt, but a throwing error would allow White to reach third and score two runs to give the Rangers a 9-1 lead in the ninth inning.
The Reddies would get three straight hits in the ninth, including back-to-back doubles, to score two runs in a fight to come back. However, French would get the next batter to pop out too short to close out the game as the Rangers took the Friday night opener victory by a final 9-3.
The Red-and-Black will return to action on Saturday afternoon for a doubleheader to close out the series against Henderson. The first pitch in game one will be at 1:00 PM, with the second game following shortly.
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