SEARCY, ARKANSAS - Northwestern Oklahoma State Baseball closed out the three game series against Harding on Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader. The Rangers split the Saturday twin bill after a comeback bid fell short in game one 7-6 after a walk off home run. The Rangers bounced back for a 5-4 victory though in the second game.
Northwestern is now 20-11 on the season following the Saturday games with a 11-7 conference record. On the road the Rangers are 5-7 this season.
GAME ONE:
The Rangers looking to strike first had a hit in the opening inning but a double play ball ended the inning keeping the game scoreless. The game remained scoreless into the top of the second inning when the Rangers struck with a leadoff double by Hagen Barcello. He later came around to score on an RBI single by Trevor Saire for the early 1-0 lead.
Harding, looking to answer back, loaded the bases without a hit as two walks and a hit batter but a line drive double play helped the Rangers escape with no damage done and keep the 1-0 lead.
Just like the Bisons in the second inning the Rangers loaded the bases without a hit in the third inning with two outs but Harding escaped not allowing a run and keeping the 1-0 lead in favor of the Rangers.
It was in the bottom of the fourth inning when Harding's offense struck. After holding the Rangers scoreless the Bisons put up a four spot in the fourth inning. With two outs in the inning a runner reached safely before a single to left field scored the tying run. Two batters later Harding hit a three run home run to right field to take a 4-1 lead.
Harding extended their lead in the fifth inning after two batters reached Doyle hit a 2-RBI double to left field to take a 6-1 lead over the Rangers
The score remained that way into the eighth inning as the Rangers looked to start the road to the comeback. The inning started with a single by Green before Saire hit a 2-run home run to cut the Ranger deficit to 6-3. The inning continued following a Vetal single and a Carson Wright single. Sachen walked in a run for the RBI before Bradford scored on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to 6-5. Harding escaped the inning with the one run lead.
Rangers had a shutdown inning in the eighth to keep the deficit at one before tying the game in the ninth. The Rangers loaded the bases in the ninth before a Dylan Bradford walk forced in the tying run at 6-6.
However in the bottom of the inning, the second Harding player to come to the plate delivered with a solo home run to left field to win the game at 7-6 over the Rangers and take the series.
GAME TWO:
Dylan Bradford led the way with a 3-3 game along with scoring two runs and driving in three. Trevor Saire finished with two hits in the game scoring a run.
Rangers struck early with the solo home run by Bradford down the right field line for the early 1-0 lead following the lead off home run.
Harding answered back with three extra base hits in the first five batters as an RBI double followed by a two run home run pushed the first inning score to 4-1 in favor of the home team.
The Rangers had two runners in the second inning reach but both were left stranded and the game stayed 4-1 through two innings.
In the third inning Bradford led off with a double before moving to third on a wild pitch as Paul Sachen delivered with a sacrifice fly to right field and cut the deficit to 4-2.
The fourth inning is where the Rangers delivered a big inning to steal the lead as the first two runners reached before a Bradford double to center field tied the game at 4-4 scoring Saire and Stiles. Carson Wright followed with a sacrifice fly to take the 5-4 lead.
Will Kates delivered 2.1 scoreless innings striking out three batters before Dawon Toborg closed the door with the save striking out three of the four batters he faced.
Northwestern will be on the road for four games in the upcoming week starting with Oklahoma Panhandle State on Tuesday March 26th before closing out the week in Durant at Southeastern Oklahoma State for a three game conference series.
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