ALVA, OKLAHOMA - Ranger Baseball returned home for a doubleheader Friday afternoon into the evening against Ouachita as the Rangers split the Friday games. Ouchita took game one following a big second inning to go up 6-0 before winning 8-1. Northwestern battled back in game two with a four run sixth inning to take an 8-4 lead which the Rangers won by that final.
The split doubleheader moves the Rangers to a 12-15 record overall with a 8-9 Great American Conference record while the split moves Ouachita to 17-10 on the year with an 12-5 conference record.
GAME ONE:
Northwestern's offense was led in hits by Brandon Holdren going 2-4 at the plate. Five other Rangers had one hit in the game as Shaughn Kelly drove in the lone run.
Brady Bowles received the game one start, throwing one inning striking out two before being relieved by Ethan Swanson who threw 6.2 innings allowing three runs striking out five. Connor Gibson helped the Rangers escape a jam getting his lone batter to ground out. Zach McEachern pitched a clean ninth inning allowing just one hit in a scoreless frame.
The teams traded hits in the first inning as both pitchers escaped damage after a single. In the second inning the Tigers offense struck with patience. The visitors would draw six straight walks to start the game pushing across the game's first three runs of the afternoon. This was before a bases clearing double pushed the score to 6-0 through two innings of play as the Rangers went down quietly in the second.
After having two runs reach on the corners, a sacrifice bunt by Bachman scratched home the seventh run of the day for a 7-0 Tiger lead. The game remained 7-0 until the fifth inning when the Rangers got on the board. Thomas Beiswanger started the inning with a single to right field. With runners on the corners following a Joseph Frisby single, Kelly grounded out as Beiswanger came around to score.
The game remained 7-1 following a couple scoreless innings following the Rangers leaving two runners on the Tigers struck again in the 8th inning. Following three straight walks the eighth run of the day scored on a wild pitch as the Tigers pushed their lead back to seven.
Game one of the afternoon closed out with that being the final score of 8-1 as the Tigers snapped their nine game losing streak to the Rangers.
GAME TWO:
The offense was led by Blake Hoffman finishing game two going 3-4 at the plate with two runs scored and three RBI's in the win. Yugo Hamakawa was tied with the team lead in runs scored with two. Holdren and Chase Orrock each had two hits.
Dylan Collins started game two for the Rangers throwing 5.1 innings allowing three earned runs striking out two in the win. Edwin Colon threw in relief for the Rangers pitching 1.2 innings striking out two while picking up his fifth win of the season.
The teams traded zeros in the opening inning as Collins worked around a one out single, while striking out the final batter of the inning. Following retiring the Tigers in order the Rangers put a runner in scoring position but he was left on second as the game remained 0-0 through two innings.
Ouachita's offense struck for the first time in game two in the third inning with a three run inning. Started with a single to leadoff the inning before an Allen home run to left center put the Tigers up 2-0. The visitors pushed a third run across following back to back errors in the inning.
After the Rangers left two on after getting two- two out singles the Tigers extended their lead to 4-0 after a leadoff triple came around to score on a Chaney single to center field.
Northwestern's offense broke through in the fourth inning following a leadoff double by HOffman and a single by Hayden Priest put runners on the corners with nobody out. Koenig put the Rangers on the board with a sacrifice fly to left center as the Rangers now trailed 4-1. The inning did not end there though as Orrock followed with an RBI double to left center before coming around to score on a throwing error as the Rangers trailed 4-3 through four innings.
The Red-and-Black were able to tie the game in the fifth taking advantage of a Hamakawa leadoff walk. A Holdren single put runners on the corner for the second straight inning. A Hoffman single to right field tied the game at four as the fifth inning came to a close.
Collins and Colon combined for a scoreless sixth inning before Northwestern broke for a four spot in the sixth inning. The inning started with an Orrock single before he would be moved to third with two outs. Hamakawa was walked before a base clearing double by Holdren gave the Rangers their first lead of the afternoon or a 6-4 lead. Hoffman followed with a 2-run home run to extend the lead to 8-4.
The Tigers did not go down quietly as they loaded the bases in the seventh inning but Colon battled back to end the inning and leave all runners stranded. Northwestern closed out the 8-4 win to split the Friday doubleheader.
The Rangers will look to win the series Saturday afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 PM Saturday at Glass Family Field at Myers Stadium. Northwestern will honor a Make-A-Wish celebration before the game with the first pitch.
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