Russellville, Ark.- The Red-and-Black went on the road taking the first two games of the series against Arkansas Tech for the series win! The Rangers used strong pitching outings from Creedon and Swanson to take the first two games. Northwestern has now won five consecutive games.
The Rangers now improve 22-11 with a 17-9 conference record on the season, as they drop Arkansas Tech to 20-13 with a 17-9 conference record.
GAME ONE:
The Rangers pitching led by Scott Creedon, who received the game one start of the doubleheader. The Rangers starter would throw 7.1 innings allowing two runs on seven hits with three strikeouts earning his sixth win of the year. Kaleb Honea would close the game out with a five-out save to achieve his conference-leading ninth of the season.
The offense was led by Daschal Johnson got the scoring started for the Rangers with a two-run home run in the first inning for one of his game-high three hits. Johnson would score a game-high three runs along with 2-RBI. Marques Paige was second on the Rangers with two hits in the game along with Grant French. Paige had one RBI in the game. French would finish the game with 2-RBI. Parker Base would have the final Ranger RBI of game one. Blake Hoffman would have a single in game one. Yugo Hamakawa would come around to score a run.
The Rangers opened game one up with early runs as the offense struck early. After Hamakawa reached first on an error, Johnson was ready to make them pay as he blasted a home run to left field to give the Rangers an early 2-0 lead. Creedon would work around a double in the first inning to hold the Rangers lead.
The pitchers would settle in from there, as both sides would be retired in order in the second inning before Tech would respond in the third. Arkansas Tech would have their first three runners reach safely before scoring their first run on a bloop single to right to cut the Rangers lead to 2-1. Creedon would escape further damage in the inning.
The pitchers in Creedon for the Rangers and Patrick Miner for the Wonder Boys would start to settle into the game, making it difficult on the offenses. Miner would retire fifteen straight Northwestern hitters before Beiswanger would end that stretch with a single off the wall. Arkansas Tech would not get a hit off Creedon for the next three innings having baserunners reach from two hit by pitches.
In the sixth inning, the Wonder Boys tried to get a runner in scoring position as following a single Detweiler, would be caught stealing as White would throw a perfect throw followed by a perfect tag by Hamakawa for the first out of the inning. Creedon would strike out the following batter holding the one-run lead and the momentum for the Rangers.
Northwestern would strike in the seventh inning, extending their lead with two runs. Johnson led the inning off with a double. Paige would follow with an RBI single off the right-field wall. Following a stolen base for Paige, French would drive him in with an RBI single to right field for a 4-1 Rangers lead forcing, Minor out of the game.
After a quiet seventh inning, Tech struck in the eighth inning with back-to-back doubles, with the RBI double coming from Detweiler. It would force Creedon out of the game as Honea finished the inning with two flyouts.
The Rangers were holding a 4-2 lead before adding insurance runs. Rangers would load the bases with nobody out before French would single home another run for his fifth straight game with at least two hits in the game. Base, would walk with the bases loaded, forcing in another run.
Honea would close out his ninth game of the season for his conference-leading nine saves working around a single but would end the game would ground out to third, finishing off the fourth straight Rangers victory.
GAME TWO:
The Rangers pitching was led by Ethan Swanson receiving the game two start throwing five scoreless innings striking out five batters. Swanson now has thrown 11.1 straight scoreless innings in his last two outings. Kaleb Honea would throw in relief retiring the last six outs allowing one run for his 10th save of the season.
The Rangers five hits were each by different players which included Johnson, Hoffman French, Dylan Norsen and Parker Base. The three runs were driven in by Thomas Beiswanger, Blake Hoffman, and Dylan Norsen. Hoffman's came off of a solo home run to left field. The three runs scored were from Hoffman, French and Norsen.
After getting a fast start in the first game, Rangers looked to do it again with a hit and a walk in the first inning but were unable to capitalize as the Wonder Boys were able to escape damage.
Arkansas Tech tried to respond in their half of the first inning, but Swanson would escape all damage striking out his first batter of the game.
The Rangers would go down quietly in the second as Arkansas Tech would attempt to get on the board once again, having their first three batters reach base safely. Swanson would settle down, forcing a double play from Paige to White to Base.
In the third inning, both teams would leave base runners on base with Swanson working around a runner in scoring position with back-to-back flyouts. In the fourth inning, Arkansas Tech would have a runner reach in scoring position for the third straight inning. Swanson was able to work around the jam with back-to-back strikeouts.
The fifth inning is when the Rangers struck first with a two-run fifth inning as French-led things off with a single to right field. Norsen was able to drive him in with a double down the left-field line. Base would single moving Norsen to third. Beiswanger would push the second run home with a sacrifice bunt squeeze play up the first baseline for a 2-0 Rangers lead.
Swanson would retire the Wonder Boys in order with his first 1-2-3 inning of the day in the fifth as he would hold the Rangers lead at 2-0 through five innings.
Blake Hoffman would extend the Rangers lead in the top half of the sixth with a solo home run to left field to make it 3-0.
In the bottom half of the sixth, the Wonder Boys would put their first two runners on base, threatening to score again. Honea would come into the game to throw in relief. The Rangers would escape the inning following an incredible triple play from a line drive to second as Beiswanger would tag second and throw to first, completing the triple play.
Arkansas Tech would have a run cross the plate in the seventh and final inning on an RBI double but Honea shut the door down following the double as he would not allow further damage retiring the final out of the ball game for his 10th save of the season to lead the conference.
The Rangers will look to complete the series sweep tomorrow afternoon in Russellville with the first pitch scheduled for 1PM.
For the latest news and updates on NWOSU Baseball, follow @NWOSUAthletics on TWITTER or visit www.riderangersride.com.
