WICHITA, KANSAS - Northwestern Oklahoma State Softball played a Tuesday doubleheader against the Jets in Wichita, Kansas. THe Rangers used a three run fifth inning to take the opening game of the afternoon 6-5, before the second game went into extra innings as the Jets came back to win 7-6.
With the split doubleheader the Rangers are now 9-20 on the season.
GAME ONE:
In the opening game of the afternoon Avery Clark led the team with two hits in the game. Kirby Van Haren, and Makanalei Lapera led the team with a 2-RBI game. Kennedi Caine finished with an RBI in the win.
Kathryn Jones finished with a complete game in the win for her fourth win of the season.
The Rangers struck first in the game as Jadyn Muns hit a double to start the inning before coming around to score on a Van Haren RBI sacrifice fly for the early 1-0 lead.
Newman put two runners on base before the Rangers worked their way out of the inning as Jones pitched a ground out back to her for the third out.
The game stayed 1-0 into the fourth inning when the Rangers worked the bases loaded leading to a Lapera walk forcing in the second run as Kaitlyn Corn scored. Caine then hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Rivera for the 3-0 lead.
In the fifth inning the Rangers used a three run fifth inning to extend the lead to 6-0. It started with a bases-loaded Van Haren walk forcing in Sherwood for the 4-0 lead. Lapera followed with a 2-RBI single for the 6-0 lead, scoring Corn, and Muns.
Newman answered with two runs scored in the fifth inning after a bases loaded walk and a stolen base cut the Ranger lead to 6-2. Newman got a run back in the sixth inning with an RBI single by Waggoner.
The Rangers cut Newman's comeback attempt in the seventh after the Jets had two reach before a 2-RBI double cut the lead down to 6-5. Final batter was out on a ground out helping seal the Rangers 6-5 victory.
GAME TWO:
Rachel Sherwood and Kennedi Caine led the team with a 2-RBI game in the second game as Kaitlyn Corn and Kirby Van Haren had two hits each.
Northwestern struck early in the first inning as back to back singles led to a Rachel Sherwood 2-RBI double scoring Clark and Muns. Corn followed with an RBI double for the 3-0 lead. Newman, trying to answer back, put two runners on base but were unable to score as Chloe Brown worked around the jam.
The game stayed 3-0 until the third inning when Newman hit an RBI single to score the Jets first run. A Navarro single cut the Ranger lead down to one at 3-2.
Newman came back to take their first lead after back to back singles to start the fourth inning a 2-RBI double pushed the Jets in front by one run.
The Jets extended their lead to 5-3 as Waggoner scored on a passed ball. Northwestern came back to tie the game in the seventh inning after a lead off single led to a Spearman triple cutting the deficit to 5-4. Caine hit a sacrifice to tie the game at 5-5.
The extra innings stayed that way into the ninth inning when the Rangers regained the lead on an RBI groundout by Caine for the 6-5 lead.
However the Jets answered back to tie the game at 6-6 on an RBI single by Noda before the walk off win in the 10th inning on a hit by pitch to seal the 7-6 win over the Rangers.
The Rangers are home over the weekend with a three game series against Southern Nazarene. Game one is scheduled for 4:00 PM against the Crimson Storm before closing out the series with a doubleheader Saturday.
