ALVA, Okla. – The Northwestern Oklahoma State baseball team defeated Oklahoma Panhandle State, 21-11, on Tuesday. The win moves the Rangers to 14-15 on the season.
Oklahoma Panhandle State struck first with three runs in the top of the first, and the Rangers got a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the inning with
Blake Mattern drawing a walk and stealing second before advancing to third on a groundout from
Matthew Bailey. Northwestern put another runner in scoring position in the second inning, as
Joel Lindahl ripped a single through the left side and stole second before
Chase Gordon drew a walk.
Brody Harris got on base with another walk to get the bases loaded, and
Jason McCarty reached on a fielder's choice to get the Rangers on the board.
Alex Dabrowski roped a single to right field to bring two runs home to tie the game at 3-3, and stole second to keep the rally going. Mattern brought Dabrowski home with a single to right field to give Northwestern a 4-3 lead going into the third.
The Rangers poured on x more runs in the bottom of the third, as Gordon and Harris got on via singles, and
DJ Barrett reached on an error that brought both runner home and sent Barrett from first to third and gave Northwestern a 6-3 lead. McCarty hammered a triple to center field to expand the lead to four, and Dabrowski brought him home by reaching on an error to make it 8-3 in favor of the Rangers. Bailey got hit by a pitch, and
Cole Barton blasted a three-run homer to left field to push the Ranger lead to 11-3.
The Aggies tacked on six runs in the fourth to cut the Ranger lead to two, but the Rangers responded with Harris and McCarty singling and Barrett drawing a walk to load the bases before Dabrowski brought Harris home on an infield fly. Mattern added on another run with a sacrifice fly to bring Northwestern's lead back to four, 13-9. Oklahoma Panhandle State chipped away at the deficit with a run in the top of the fifth with a run, but the Rangers immediately answered back with a two-run bomb from Gordon to put Northwestern up 15-10.
Oklahoma Panhandle State added on another run in the top of the seventh to cut the Ranger lead to 15-11, but the Rangers quickly moved the lead back up to five with a double to center field from Barton and a double to left field from Barrett. McCarty kept the offense going with a sacrifice fly to bring Barrett home and push the lead to 17-11. Mattern drew a walk in the bottom of the eighth, and stole second before moving to third on a passed ball. Barton made it to first on an error, and Lindahl brought Mattern home on a single to make it 18-11 favoring Northwestern. Gordon hammered a double to the left center wall to bring two more runs home, and McCarty slapped a double to right field to give the Rangers a run-rule win, 21-11.
Gordon led the Rangers in hits with four, while Gordon and McCary led in RBI with four each.
The Rangers will be back in action on March 20, when they take on the University of Arkansas-Monticello at Myers Stadium, with the first game of the doubleheader starting at 3 p.m.
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