ALVA, OKLAHOMA - Northwestern Oklahoma State Baseball closed out the 12 game home stand to start the season with an 11-4 victory over Emporia State. Northwestern used a sixth run seventh inning to take a 10-4 lead before closing out the win Tuesday afternoon.
The win improves the Rangers to 10-2 on the season and third straight victory.Â
Northwestern was led by Hagen Barcello and Dylan Bradford in hits with three each. Barcello and Porter Pittman led the team in RBIs with five for Barcello and four for Pittman. The Rangers had five different hitters with two runs each.Â
Myles McDermott picked up his first win of the season after a scoreless inning of work facing the minimum. Cade Phelps, Kyle Gscheidle, and Ben Brown each threw scoreless innings in the win.Â
The Hornets struck first in this game as a two out double started a rally as the next batter Hernandez hit a single into left field for the early 1-0 lead. The score remained that way until the bottom of the third when the Ranger offense struck.Â
After the first seven batters were retired in order, Zach Vetal started things for the home team. Dylan Bradford reached with a hit and stole second for two runners in scoring position before Porter Pittman hit a 2-RBI single back up the middle for the Rangers first lead of the game at 2-1. Pittman came around to score on Barcello's third home run of the season and a 4-1 Ranger lead through three innings.
Emporia State got one back in the fourth inning on a solo home run before tying the game in the fifth inning. After back to back strikeouts to start the inning for Justin Dunlap, a two run home run hit to left field tied the game following a Ranger error.Â
 It stayed 4-4 until the seventh inning when the Ranger offense struck for six runs to take a commanding lead. Theron Perkins reached on an error before later coming around to score on a Jacob Wiltshire RBI single. The Rangers then loaded the bases before a Pittman double down the left field line scored two more runs before Barcello's second home run of the game was a three run shot for a 10-4 lead.Â
Northwestern was not done as in the eighth inning the Rangers added one more run as a Wiltshire double to left center led to a Bradford single scoring Wiltshire for the 11-4 lead.Â
Brown closed the game out in the ninth inning giving the Rangers the seven run win over Emporia State in the first of two meetings this season.Â
Northwestern will travel to Arkadelphia for the second conference series of the season with game one of the series on Friday part of a doubleheader before closing out the series on Saturday.Â
