ALVA, OKLAHOMA - Rangers Baseball closed out their season with a 2-0 victory over Southwestern Oklahoma State Sunday afternoon. With the win the Rangers win their final series of the season. Northwestern used one run in the third and a run in the fifth to gain the lead.
Opening inning of the game Matthew Potts was the Rangers starter. The Bulldogs had a one out single followed by a walk trying to get an early run but Potts picked up a line out and a fly out to keep the game scoreless. The Rangers answered back with a couple base runners following a walk to Paul Sachen and a single by Brandon Holdren and Trevor Saire to load the bases. Southwestern escaped with no damage allowed, keeping it 0-0 through one.
Potts allowed one hit in the second but struckout two keeping the Bulldogs scoreless as the game remained 0-0 into the bottom of the third inning when the Rangers struck first. Joseph Frisby led the inning off with an infield single beating out the throw. After he advanced on a sacrifice bunt, Frisby took advantage of a Bulldog mistake scoring on an error that allowed Holdren to reach first. Rangers took the 1-0 lead into the fourth inning.
Southwestern drew a one out walk but back to back fielder's choices held the game at 1-0 until the fifth inning when the Rangers extended their lead over the Bulldogs. Harley Shaffer started the fifth inning with a double to left center field for his seventh straight game with a hit. Frisby moved him to third with a sacrifice bunt before scoring on a Sachen ground out. Rangers took a 2-0 lead into the sixth inning.
Potts continued to control the game for the Rangers retiring the Bulldogs in order in the sixth. In the seventh and eighth inning he picked up a strikeout allowing one base runner but the Rangers continued to lead 2-0 through eight innings of play.
In the final frame senior Connor Gibson came on to close the game out picking up two ground outs before striking out the final hitter of the game to close out a 2-0 Ranger victory.
The Rangers picked up their first shutout of the season behind eight innings from Matthew Potts and the ninth from Connor Gibson to earn the series victory over the Bulldogs. Northwestern won their final two conference series of the season.
