By OAKLEE FIELDER
Sports Editor
The NWOSU baseball season started this week on Jan. 31. They had a quadruple header against the Colorado Christian University Cougars and one game against the Newman University Jets.
Game 1: NWOSU 3, CCU 2
Their first game against CCU started off with Jacob Fuller on the mound. The Cougars got one hit off of him in the top of the first, with a single to the left. The Cougars hit a ground out and they went to the field. The Rangers got one hit in the first inning but nothing was able to come out of it. The second inning had no hits for either team. The Cougars continued the trend of no hits in the top of the third. NWOSU’s Jacob Wiltshire was walked and he then stole second base on a wild pitch. Wiltshire was then brought home with the help from Carson Wright. The third inning ended with the first run of the game 0-1 NWOSU.
The fourth inning went with no hits for either team. In the top of the fifth, the Cougars scored a run to tie the game. Dawson Toborg also went onto the mound for NWOSU, replacing Fuller. The Rangers were not able to get any hits in the bottom of the fifth.
In the top of the sixth, the Cougars hit a single home run to take charge of the ball game. NWOSU did not get a hit in the bottom of the sixth. The Cougars’ momentum stopped and they did not have a hit in the top of the seventh. The Rangers got two runners on base in the top of the seventh, but were struck out looking and they had to go to the field leaving those runners on base.
In the eighth inning, the Cougars got no hits and the Rangers went to home plate. They got two runners on base and Hagen Barcello gave a sacrifice fly to let Dylan Bradford run home and tie the game 2-2. In the ninth inning, the pressure was on for the Cougars.
They were grounded out twice in a row, and then Elias Herrera went to the mound to relieve Toborg. Herrera struck out the next CCU batter and gave the Rangers the chance to win the game.
In the bottom of the ninth, with the chance to win the game, the Rangers got one out.
Trevor Saire hit a double to get on base and put the chance to win in sight. Colby Grace hit a double and let Saire run home to get walk off run and win the game for NWOSU 3-2.
Game 2: NWOSU 16, CCU 12
The next day, Feb. 1, the Cougars and Rangers played twice. The first two innings were scoreless for both teams. In the top of the third, CCU got a run in to take the lead 0-1. The Rangers left the field down by one. Dylan Bradford singled to right fiend and allowed Colby Grace to run home and get the run for NWOSU.
Carson Wright hit a single to the left and let Bradford run home. Hagen Barcello hit a double to center field and Carson Wright went home to make it a 3-1 game. With two on base, Paul Sachen hit a double to right field and Barcello and Wright scored and it was 5-1. Chad Green hit a homer to center field and made it 7-1. Chase Gordon hit a single to right center and Shaffer went home. At the end of the third inning, it was 8-1 NWOSU. CCU took the third inning personally, and scored 10 unanswered runs throughout the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings to make it a 8-11 ball game.
Chad Green answered in the bottom of the sixth to let Paul Sachen run home. Harley Shaffer then hit a triple to right center field and Green ran home next to get within one.
The Cougars kept their scoring streak going in the seventh inning and hit a homerun into right field. NWOSU answered quicker than last time and got one home in the bottom of the seventh to make it a one run game again. In the eighth inning, Hagen Barcello was up to bat after Carson Wright, Dylan Bradford, and Colby Grace got onto base. Barcello proceeded to hit a grand slam to take the lead and the game ended 16-12.
Game 3: NWOSU 13, CCU 0
In the third game against CCU, and on the same day, the Rangers kept their momentum from earlier and kept it rolling into the next game. They started the game with a homerun by Carson Wright to take the early lead. Neither team scored in the second inning. In the bottom of the third inning, Chad Green hit a homerun bringing Wright and Bradford home to make it 4-0. Next up was Connor Green, who is Chad Green’s younger brother. Connor Green hit a single homerun right after his brother and made it 5-0.
Saire hit a sacrifice fly to center field and Porter Pittman ran home.
Dylan Bradford hit a double to right field and Zach Vetal went home and it was 7-0. Hagen Barcello hit a single to center field and let Bradford and Wiltshire run home to make it 9-0.
In the fourth inning, Bradford was walked with the bases loaded and Connor Green went home without any trouble. Porter Pittman went home on a passed ball and it was a 11-0 ballgame. In the fifth inning, Pittman hit a single to left center field and Chase Hamilton went home. On an error, Connor Green went home and scored the thirteenth and final point of the game. The Rangers had been up by more than ten runs in the seventh inning, and the mercy rule was in effect. NWOSU beat CCU for a third time with a score of 13-0.
Game 4: CCU 12, NWOSU 7
On Feb 2, the fourth and final game in the quadruple header against CCU, the Rangers looked to sweep the Cougars. In the second inning, the Cougars started with an early lead. In the third inning, the Cougars added to that lead. Chase Gordon answered with a single homer, followed by Bradford getting on base and Carson hitting a double homerun bringing Bradford home with him.
CCU scored two more in the fourth inning to keep their led. NWOSU’s Wright hit a double and brought Bradford and Gordon home. CCU answered back with two in the fifth and three in the eighth. Down by five, the Rangers had a lot to do if they were going to win this game.
Barcello hit a single into center field and Bradford went home to make it 6-12. Connor Green then hit a single to center field and Wright came home to make it 7-12. Unfortunately, that was all they could do. The Rangers were not able to complete the sweep against CCU.
Game 5: NWOSU 12, NU 5
The fifth and final game was against Newman University. The first inning was great for the Rangers. Connor Green hit a double to right center and brought Barcello, Wright, and Bradford home in one hit. Wiltshire was walked with the bases loaded and Bradford was hit by the pitch right after, making it 5-0 by the end of the opening inning. The Jets responded with two runs in the top of the second.
The next three innings were scoreless. In the sixth, Newman University hit a homerun which brought two runners home and made it a 5-4 game. NWOSU responded with five runs in the bottom. Barcello brought Bradford and Wiltshire home, an error brought Barcello and Wright home, and Saire hit a sacrifice fly to bring Connor Green home, making it 10-4.
In the 11th Connor Green hit a double and brought Barcello and Bradford home to make it 12-4. Newman got a run in the top of the ninth from an error. The game ended 5-12 for a NWOSU win.
The Rangers leave this week 4-1 and at the top of the GAC. standings, although no GAC games have been played
