ALVA, Okla- Northwestern Oklahoma State opened their 2022 season on Sunday afternoon with a doubleheader against the Golden Eagles. Minnesota Crookston used a quick start in game one taking a 4-0 lead they would not lose. In game two the Golden Eagles used a four run seventh inning to take a 9-5 lead before closing out a 13-9 victory over the Rangers.
Northwestern drops to 0-2 on the year as the Golden Eagles improve to 2-0 to start their season.
GAME 1:
Ethan Swanson received the opening day start for the Rangers throwing 2.2 innings. He was one of four pitchers used as Kayden Whetstone relieved him, striking out seven batters in the 3.1 inning he threw. Matthew Potts would follow with 2 scoreless innings. Matt Nolan would throw the final inning for the Rangers.
The Rangers were held to four hits in the opening game as Shaughn Kelly led the team with two of the hits. Hayden Priest and Brandon Holdren each had one.
The opening frame of the season was held scoreless before the Golden Eagles struck in the second inning with a solo home run to left center field puting the visitors in front in the early part of the game.
Minnesota-Crookston took advantage of some opportunities in the third. After a one out walk in the inning they followed that at bat by reaching on an error. He was followed by two straight walks bringing in one of the three runs that inning. Goodwin drove in a run on a fielder's choice before a walk and hit batsman brought home the third and final run of the inning.
Holdren doubled in the fourth for the Rangers as the Red-and-Black looked to get on the board but would be stopped there as through four innings the Rangers still trailed 4-0. Whetstone would throw his first full inning of the game before holding the Golden Eagles scoreless for the next three keeping the game at 4-0.
Northwestern had a strong opportunity in the sixth having the first two runners reach on a single followed by an Eagle error. However a strikeout followed by a double play kept Northwestern off the board through six innings.
The game would stay 4-0 until the top of the ninth inning when Minnesota-Crookston would pull away with a four run ninth to take an 8-0 lead. Nunn knocked in two runs with a 2-RBI double before a Golez single gave the Golden Eagles the eight run lead.
Game Two:
Cade Phelps got the start for the Rangers, pitching four innings allowing three runs in the afternoon. Connor Gibson relieved him, throwing 2.1 innings before Dylan Collins completed the final 2.2 inning of the game.
Dylan Norsen led the team with three RBI's in this game with two hits as he was one of four players with two hits. Kelly continued his play from game one with another two hits in the second game. Northwestern had five total doubles in game two.
The scoring started early in game two with a solo home run by Hjelle, the second hitter of the game in the top of the first. Northwestern wasted no time however, answering back as Joseph Frisby would draw a walk before Kelly would drive in the first runs of the Rangers 2022 season with a two-run blast to right center field. Northwestern would take a 2-1 lead. Blake Hoffman followed with a double before Norsen drove in the third run on a ground out.
Minnesota Crookston drawed a few walks before back to back singles would tie the game at three all. Phelps would escape further damage striking out the final hitter of the inning. The game would remain 3-3 before the Rangers struck again in the bottom of the third inning. Holdren got things started with a one out double in the third before Norse drove him home with a double. Yugo Hamakawa would hit the third straight double for the Rangers giving Northwestern a 5-3 lead after three innings.
Northwestern protected the lead in the fourth from a scoreless inning from Phelps. The game stayed 5-3 until the top of the fifth when Minnesota tied the game 5-5. Hjelle would lead the inning off with a single as Thoma would follow him with a 2-run home run in the fifth.
The seventh inning the Golden Eagles struck with four runs in the inning to take a 9-5 lead. Minnesota displayed more plate discipline in the inning drawing four walks as two of them would force in runs. The Golden Eagles would then drive in two more runs on singles from Musser and Hass.
As the visitors carried a 9-5 lead into the eighth inning when they would add two more runs on a bases loaded sacrifice fly to deep center field bringing in two more runs. In the ninth inning the lead would temporarily be extended to eight runs as the Golden Eagles tacked on two more off a 2-run blast to center field.
The Rangers would fight back though in the ninth scoring four runs cutting the deficit in half but the comeback bid would fall short. Frisby would hit an RBI double in the inning followed by a Hoffman RBI single. Norsen would then drive in two bringing the deficit to 13-9.
Northwestern will be back in action Monday afternoon as they close out their three game series with Minnesota-Crookston with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 PM.
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