SHAWNEE – Northwestern Oklahoma State (20-18, 11-12 GAC) scored 30 runs over two games to defeat Oklahoma Baptist (17-17, 10-13 GAC) in a Great American Conference doubleheader on Thursday at Bobby Cox Field.
The Rangers won by scores of 21-8 and 9-0 to earn some much-need league wins.
GAME ONE
The Rangers wasted no time, scoring twice in the first and adding two more in the second to take early control. Oklahoma Baptist answered with a four-run third, highlighted by run-scoring hits from
Quinn Johnson and
Lucas Schaefer to tie the game at 4-4.
After both teams traded runs in the fourth to knot things again at 6-6, Northwestern Oklahoma State delivered the decisive blow in the fifth. Capitalizing on defensive miscues, the Rangers plated seven runs in the inning, punctuated by Chase Gordon's grand slam that broke the game open. That homer made the score 12-6 and the visitors took a 13-6 lead into the bottom half of the fifth.
Gordon led the offensive onslaught, finishing 3-for-6 with six RBI, while Alex Dabrowski scored six runs and wreaked havoc on the bases with three stolen bags. Dabrowski also tripled and doubled. Brandon Jennings added a homer and drove in two, and Jason McCarty chipped in three hits and two RBI.
The Bison collected 15 hits in the loss, with
Ben Green going 3-for-4 and driving in two runs. Despite the offensive production, the Bison pitching staff surrendered seven walks, 10 extra-base hits and was hurt by three errors.
GAME TWO
Northwestern broke open a tight game with a six-run sixth inning in the nightcap.
The Rangers struck first in the third, taking advantage of an Oklahoma Baptist error to plate an unearned run. They added two more in the fifth, highlighted by an RBI double from Dabrowski and a run-scoring single by Cole Barton to push the lead to 3-0.
The game turned decisively in the sixth. NWOSU erupted for six runs on four hits, including a three-run bomb from Jailon GoodFellow that stretched the margin to 6-0. Barton delivered again later in the inning with a two-RBI single, while Joel Lindahl capped the scoring with an RBI walk.
On the mound, Logan Sandoval was dominant, tossing a complete-game shutout. He allowed just three hits, struck out seven, and did not issue a walk in the 79-pitch effort.
Offensively, the Rangers totaled 13 hits, with GoodFellow and Brandon Jennings each collecting three. Barton drove in three runs, while GoodFellow also finished with three RBI.
Oklahoma Baptist managed just three hits and struck out seven times, unable to generate any offensive momentum throughout the contest.
