SEARCY, ARKANSAS - Northwestern Oklahoma State Softball opened the final three-game series of the season against the Bisons Friday afternoon. The Rangers won a pitcher's duel in game one off a Rachel Sherwood two-run home run for the 2-1 win. Harding scored four in the final inning to steal game two 6-5 over the Rangers.

The Rangers are now to 14-35 on the season with an 8-24 conference record. 

GAME ONE:

Rangers were led in hits by five different players, each with one hit in the game. Sherwood finished the game with one hit, a run scored, and a 2-RBI game off a home run. Macy Spearman scored the Rangers' second run. Madelyn Cason pitched a complete game, allowing one run, picking up her fourth win of the season.

Harding got the first two base runners of the game before back to back fly outs helped Cason out of the inning, keeping the game scoreless. 

The Bisons were the first team to score in the third inning a single and a steal had a runner in scoring position with nobody out before an RBI single by Neal pushed the home team in front 1-0. 

Northwestern, though, answered back right away in the fourth inning after a leadoff walk by Macy Spearman, scoring on a Sherwood 2-run home run to center field and the first lead of the game for the Rangers at 2-1. 

The Rangers looked to add one in the fifth inning with a leadoff single, but Harding worked their way out of the inning. 

Cason completed the victory for the Rangers with back-to-back perfect innings in the 6th and 7th innings to seal the 2-1 victory over the No. 23-ranked team, Harding. 

GAME TWO:

Jadyn Muns and Rachel Sherwood led the Rangers with two hits each in the game. Sherwood drove in two more runs. Spearman, Avery Clark, and Kaitlyn Corn all had an RBI. Chloe Brown pitched 6.1 innings, allowing three earned runs. 

Northwestern had a one-out single by Jadyn Muns, but were not able to score as the game remained a 0-0 game. 

Harding struck first in the game with a leadoff walk followed by an error, allowing the runner to reach third. The Bisons got the run on an RBI groundout for the 1-0 lead over the Rangers. 

The game remained 1-0 into the fourth inning when the Rangers were able to tie the game after a leadoff single by Sherwood led to an RBI double by Corn to even the score at 1-1. Harding had an extra base hit looking to get the run back but Brown worked around the jam keeping the game 1-1. 

In the fifth inning, the Rangers struck for three runs. It started with a leadoff single leading to an RBI single by Spearman for the 2-1 lead. Later in the inning, the Rangers had an RBI single by Sherwood and Clark to push the lead to 4-1 over Harding. 

In the sixth inning, the Bisons were able to get one run back on a solo home run by Pearson, cutting their deficit to two at 4-2. 

The Rangers got one back in the seventh inning when Sherwood grounded out back to the pitcher, scoring the fifth run of the game for the 5-2 lead. 

Harding started the comeback with back-to-back leadoff singles to put runners on first and second. Two runs came around to score on a Ranger throwing error to cut the Ranger lead down to 5-4. Harding tied the game on a sacrifice fly before an RBI single walked off the win for the home team. 

The two teams split the doubleheader and will play the rubber match to close the game on Saturday. The first pitch of the game is scheduled for noon against Harding.

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