ENID, Oklahoma- Northwestern Oklahoma State Baseball participated in their annual game at David Allen Memorial Ballpark game this year against East Central. The Red-and-Black would use 10 hits scoring nine runs from a four-run seventh inning with two outs to pull off the midweek win 9-3. 

Blake Hoffman would receive the midweek start for the Red-and-Black, throwing three innings, allowing a run on three hits striking out four. Connor Gibson would throw in relief striking out seven hitters in three innings of work, allowing one unearned run. Gibson picked up his first win of the season. Emilio Lovato, Rafferty Brown, Koby Spicer, and Sean Rydell would throw in relief to close the Rangers' win out. The staff combined for 16 strikeouts, the most in a game since April 20, 2018, against Henderson State, when the team would collect the DII record of 17.

The Rangers offense was led by Grant French, finishing the game reaching base all four times; he came to bat for a 3 for 3 day with a walk drawn. Parker Base would follow with two hits in the evening. The Rangers would have five hitters following with a hit each in the evening in Preston Lonadier, Yugo Hamakawa, Justin Gordon, Chase Orrock, and Blake Hoffman. French and Base led the team with 2-RBI on the evening. Gavin Mendoza, Lonadier Orrock, and Hoffman finished with an RBI. French led the team with three runs scored, followed by Base and Hoffman, each with two. Thomas Beiswanger and Hamakawa were the other Rangers. 

The game opened strongly for the Rangers starting pitcher retiring the side in order in the first with striking out the third and final batter. The Rangers would have a runner reach on an error before the side was retired. 

The Tigers would hit a leadoff double to start the 2nd inning, but the Rangers would escape a jam as Base would snag a line drive to first, doubling up the runner at second before picking up his second strikeout to end the inning. 

French would try to get things started for the Rangers in the second with a triple to dead centerfield, but the Tigers would escape any damage keeping the score at 0-0 through two innings of play.

Tigers would strike first with a two-out double to right field before being hit in with an RBI double from Lemons to right field to give ECU the first run of the ball game. In the home half of the inning, the Rangers would threaten to score, moving runners to first and second, but the Tigers pitcher Rogers would keep the game in favor of the Tigers at 1-0. 

In the fourth inning, the Rangers would take their first lead of the evening, following a pitching change where Gibson would hold ECU scoreless in the away half of the inning with two strikeouts. Hoffman and French would lead the inning off with back-to-back walks before Base would make the Tigers pay for it. The Ranger's first baseman would rope a triple down the right-field line scoring two runs and giving the Rangers their first lead of the game. Base would score on an RBI groundout from Mendoza to give the Rangers the 3-1 lead after five innings of play. 

In the fifth inning, Gibson would keep the Rangers in front 3-1 as he would strike out the side for six strikeouts through two innings of work. 

In the sixth, the teams would trade runs as ECU would take advantage of a couple of Ranger's defensive miscues. A walk and two Rangers errors would allow the Tigers to score. In the home half of the inning, French would answer back with a blast to right field for a solo home run bringing the Rangers to lead to 4-2 through six innings of play. 

Lovato would come into relief for the Rangers, striking out two of the three hitters of the inning for 13 on the night for Rangers, tying the most for Rangers pitching on the season. 

The Rangers would add to their lead in the seventh inning following a leadoff walk for Hamakawa. With Hamakawa on first, Hoffman would deliver an RBI double down the right-field line extending the Rangers lead. French would have his third hit of the game with an RBI single, scoring Hoffman to put the Rangers in front 6-2. Lonadier would continue the inning with an RBI single to center field. Base then would score on a wild pitch giving the Rangers an 8-2 lead, scoring four runs with two outs in the inning. 

The Tigers would score one in the 8th inning on a ball hit to centerfield that would allow the baserunner to score, cutting the Rangers lead to 8-3. The Rangers would waste no time answering back in their half off the inning with Gordon and Beiswanger leading off the inning, reaching base, followed by Orrock hit a pinch-hit single to centerfield to bring home the ninth run for the Rangers. 

The ninth inning was combined between Spicer and Rydell to close the win out for the Rangers as Rydell would strike out the final Tigers batter of the game for the 9-3 win. The win evens the season series with the Tigers on the season 2-2. 

The Red-and-Black will be back in action this weekend against the Bisons of Harding University for a three-game Great American Conference series in Glass Family Field at Myers Stadium.