By Logan Jones
Assist. Sports Editor
The NWOSU baseball team rounded out the 2019 campaign last weekend against archrival, Southwestern Oklahoma State, dropping a three-game series.
The Rangers looked to end their season on a high note while also ruining the Bulldogs’ at the same time.
In game one, Southwestern jumped out to an early 4-run lead in the first inning before adding two more in the second.
The red and black responded in the bottom of the third with RBI hits from Luis Cintron, Carlos Andujar and Johnnuelle Ponce, bringing the Rangers within two.
The Bulldogs tacked on two more runs, scoring one in the fourth and in the sixth, before a 3-run homerun in the eighth seemed to put the game out of reach.
However, the Rangers rallied, managing to score four in the bottom of the ninth.
Unfortunately, SWOSU recorded the final out before Northwestern could do any more damage. The Rangers dropped game one by the score of 11-8.
Saturday saw enough baseball to put a stamp on the 2019 season.
In game one of a double-header, both the Bulldogs and the Rangers combined for 43 total hits in a game that set the GAC record for longest game by innings with 16.
The game started with both teams matching each other for every run scored.
After the ninth inning, the game was deadlocked at two apiece. Going into extra innings, Southwestern took the lead by plating three in the 11th.
Down to their final out, the Rangers sent Jake Darrow to the plate.
Darrow singled, scoring two runs, before scoring on an error on the SWOSU third baseman, tying the game once again at 5-5.
The game remained knotted-up at five until the 16th inning when the Bulldogs took the lead on a sacrifice fly to right field.
Despite their great efforts, the Rangers lost, 6-5.
In game two of the double-header, it was Northwestern’s turn to take the lead.
In the bottom of the Rangers brought across four runs, giving themselves a 4-1 lead.
A 3-run homerun in the top of the fourth allowed the Bulldogs to tie the game at four, but that was short lived as the red and black took the lead in the bottom of the inning when Darrow was able to score on another SWOSU error.
However, Southwestern picked up runs in the top of the sixth and seventh innings to seal the victory and the series sweep.
The Northwestern baseball team finished the 2019 season with an overall record of 23-26, going 11-21 in conference play.