By Eric Scott
Athletic communications
Northwestern Oklahoma State University baseball is off to its best six-game start since the 2015 season after they split a Saturday doubleheader on the road at Missouri Southern State in Joplin.
The Rangers feel to the Tigers in game one, 10-0, but bounced back with a 3-2 win in game two. Northwestern is now 5-1 on the season. The rubber match between the Rangers and Tigers will take place tomorrow afternoon with a 1 p.m. first pitch.
Northwestern found themselves down 2-0 early on in the night cap before scoring three unanswered runs for the win.
Daschal Johnson got the Rangers on the board in the top of the fourth when he led the inning off with a first pitch double to left center and then advanced to third in the next at bat. After Carlos Andujar drew a four-pitch walk, he took off for second and reached when the ball sailed into center on the attempt to gun down Andujar.
The error allowed Johnson to cross the plate and cut the difference to 2-1.
The Rangers knotted the game at two runs in their next half inning at the plate. For the second straight inning, the Rangers got the leadoff runner on bases when Johnnuelle Ponce drew a walk. Ponce eventually moved over to third and scored on the second wild pitch of the inning to tie the game.
In the top of the sixth, the leadoff man got on base yet again, this time Luis Mendoza welcomed a new MSSU pitcher to the game with a single to right center. Greg Carrington came in to pinch run and moved to third on a Justin Bundy single. Ponce followed Bundy with a double down the left field line to plate Carrington for the go-ahead run.
Bundy’s single, combined with three of Northwestern’s five hits in game one, gave him a team high four hits on the afternoon. Mendoza finished the doubleheader with a pair of hits, and Johnson had two hits in game two and scored a run.
Kaleb Honea (1-0) entered the second game in to start the sixth inning and didn›t allow a hit and struck out two in two innings of work. Dillon Van Oosbree went three innings and allowed two runs and Rafael Lora pitched two perfect innings.
Matt Goertzen (0-1) was credited with the loss in the first game, while Kyle Rogers also saw some action on the mound for the Rangers in the series opener.
It was a comeback weekend for the Northwestern Oklahoma State University baseball team as they bounced back from a game one loss on Saturday to win two straight and close the series with a victory on Sunday at Missouri Southern State in Joplin.
Northwestern battled back in both wins over the weekend, including a 7-3 victory Sunday afternoon. The Rangers moved to 6-1 on this season with the win to tie the 2013 team for the best start by the program as a member of the NCAA.
It was also the team’s six straight series victory dating back to the 2018 season when they closed the year with four series wins in a row.
The Rangers are home for a mid-week contest Tuesday afternoon when they host Northeastern State at 3 p.m. at Glass Family Field at Myers Stadium, before beginning Great American Conference play on Friday at Southern Nazarene with the first of three games.
Northwestern started the game with a 1-0 lead Sunday afternoon when Carlos Andujar reached base in the seven straight game with a single up the middle and scored as he was followed by Luis Mendoza with a double to left center.
Mendoza now has a five-game hit streak and also reached in all seven contests this season.
After the Tigers answered in the bottom of the first, Justin Bundy’s bat came alive in the top of the third. The senior hit a two-run home run over the wall in right center that scored Andujar, who reached to lead off the inning, for the second time in the game.
The home run was Bundy’s third of the season.
With the game tied at three following a MSSU run in the bottom of the sixth, the Rangers took the lead in the top of the seventh. Already with two outs on the board, Brock Randels laid down a bunt and was awarded a hit.
However, he moved to second on an errant throw, which set up Mendoza for his second RBI double on the afternoon to make it 4-3.
Northwestern got three insurance runs in the top half of the ninth inning. Luis Cintron drew a four pitch walk to start the inning and Mendoza reached yet again with a walk of his own. The Tigers promptly made a pitching change and Johnnuelle Ponce welcomed the new hurler to the game with a three-run shot, his second of the year, to make it 7-3.
Kaleb Honea took the mound for the Rangers in the ninth and struck out two to close the game.
Jacob Uhing earned his second win of the season in relief for the Rangers with a strikeout in a hitless inning of work. Koby Spicer pitched well by not allowing a hit in 1.2 innings with a pair of strikeouts to set up Honea›s final inning.
Brandon Nesseralla took the ball to start the game for the Rangers and struck out five in 5.1 innings.
Mendoza now has four doubles this season as his pair of extra base hits this afternoon as he moved his average to .500 on the season. Andujar raised his average to .520 after a 2-for-3 day.
Northwestern Oklahoma State University baseball improved a home field winning streak to nine straight Tuesday afternoon as the Rangers made easy work of Northeastern State, 11-2, at Glass Family Field at Myers Stadium.
The Rangers have won four straight against Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletic Association opponents this year. Prior to 2019, Northwestern had never won more than two games against MIAA members.
The Great American Conference season will get started Friday afternoon when the Rangers travel to take on Southern Nazarene in a three-game set. First pitch of the series will be at 1 p.m., followed by a doubleheader on Saturday in Bethany.
Harry Park made another excellent showing on the bump for the Rangers as he was called upon for the start the midweek contest.
Park allowed a run on three hits with five straights to earn his second win of the season.
Baron Phillips, Danny Vasquez, Bryce Donovan and Beau Britton each pitched an inning as the game wound down.
In total, Ranger pitches struck out 11 Riverhawk batters after fanning 13 on Sunday against Missouri Southern.
While the Rangers only had three extra-base hits, the offense still sprayed 14 total hits around the field to compliment seven free passes and a hit batter from NSU. NWOSU entered the game with a.329 team batting average to lead the Great American Conference, improving its total by nine points after Tuesday’s victory.
A carry over from the weekend series at MSSU, Luis Mendoza continued to be hot at the plate with a 3-for-3 day. The senior has hit .600 (9-for-15) in the last four games.
Mendoza accounted for six of the Rangers’ runs with two runs batted in and scored a Northwestern season high four runs.
Colton Whitehouse drove in three runs thanks to a double and two sac flies.
Northwestern scored a run in six of their eight half innings.
The biggest scoring output of the day came in the fourth inning when they plated four runs, started by a Daschal Johnson RBI double to drive in Jake White who led the inning off with a single.
A couple of batters later, Mendoza ripped a pitch through the right side of the infield to push across
Johnson and Johnnuelle Ponce followed with one if his two hits in the double to plate Luis Cintron. Whitehouse added the fourth run of the inning with a deep fly to center to bring home Mendoza.