By NICK VILLALOBOS
Sports Editor
Ranger baseball fell to Southern Arkansas two games to one over the weekend.
Northwestern faced the Muleriders Saturday and Sunday afternoon at Myers Field.
Play began Saturday with a double-header that saw the Rangers falling in game one 10-4 and winning game two 3-2.
After the devastating loss in game one, the Rangers were ready for redemption in game two.
Leading the way for the Rangers in game two was senior Jeff Martin, who went 2-for-2 at the plate, grabbing two runs, two RBIs and one home run.
The scoring began for the Rangers early in the first inning, when Matt Benn came across the plate on a Martin sacrifice fly.
The Muleriders would answer right back in the second inning with a home run into deep left field.
With the Muleriders’ score, the game was deadlocked at 1-1.
In the third inning, the deadlock was broken after Martin hit a solo home run, accompanied by an RBI by Jason Freeman.
The Muleriders tacked on a run late in the seventh inning, which closed the lead down to just one for the Rangers.
Northwestern’s closing pitcher Chase Randall fortunately earned the save and helped seal game two for a 3-2 win.
As both teams entered into Sunday afternoon, the series was notched up at 1-1.
In the final game of the series, the Ranges would fall 8-6 in a back-and-forth scoring affair.
Southern Arkansas would get on the board first in the first inning, only to have the Rangers tie the game back up at 1-1 the very next inning.
The Muleriders would hit a solo home run in the third inning, reclaiming a 2-1 lead.
The Rangers answered right back in the fifth inning as Martin recorded a huge RBI double that allowed teammate Logan Porter to score.
The Muleriders would pull out to a 6-2 lead in the sixth inning, just to have the Rangers come right back yet again after a massive three-run home run by Joshua Caruso.
Despite the monstrous shot by Caruso late, the Rangers were unable to complete the comeback as they fell 8-6 to the Muleriders.
The Rangers (9-10 overall 4-8 GAC) will be back on the road this weekend as they face Hillsdale Baptist in Moore, Okla., at 1 p.m. Friday.