The NWOSU Softball team had ten games to play before, during, and after spring break. Their first three were at Southern Arkansas on March 14-15.
They then went to Fort Hayes
State University to play the Tigers twice on March 18. They then came home to play the University of Arkansas at Monticello three times on March 21 and 22. After that they went to Newman University to play them twice on March 25.
NWOSU 0-SAU 8
The Lady Rangers had an incredibly rough first game against the Muleriders, as they were shut out and the game ended in six innings. Southern Arkansas scored five runs in the fifth inning.
NWOSU 2-SAU 3
The second game against Southern Arkansas started off much better than the previous.
In the top of the second, Madeline Pack hit a double homerun to start the game off strong for NWOSU. It was responded with a double homerun of Southern Arkansas’ own and the game was tied at two. The rest of the innings were scoreless, so it went into extra innings. In the bottom of the eighth, the Muleriders scored a walk-off run to win the game in extra innings.
NWOSU 0-SAU 4
The third game for the Lady Rangers against Southern Arkansas was another rough one. They were once again shut out by the Muleriders. Madelyn Cason and Chloe Brown both had two strikeouts.
NWOSU 1-FHSU 2
After a rough two days in Arkansas, the Lady Rangers headed to Hays, Kansas to face the Tigers in two games. The Tigers scored two runs in the bottom of the third and had the early lead. In the top of the fourth, the Tigers threw a wild pitch, Muns ran to first and throughout the chaos, Corn ran home and scored Northwestern’s first run of the game. Unfortunately, it was the only run scored in the game.
NWOSU 2-FHSU 4
In the first and second innings in the final meeting of the day, the Tigers scored three runs and it was 0-3.
In the sixth, Sherwood hit a double homerun to take her and Chloe Prentiss home and make it a one-run game. The bottom of the same inning, the Tigers scored a single run and made it a two-run game. That was all either team had in store for the other and the Lady Rangers continue their losing streak.
ARK 4-NWOSU 3
The Lady Rangers came home to play against the Cotton Blossoms. It started with a scoreless first inning. In the second, Spearman hit a single to left field which sent Clark home and the Lady Rangers took the lead.
In the third, Van Haren hit a double to left center and sent Clark and Pack home to make it a three-run ballgame. In the sixth and seventh, the Cotton Blossoms scored four runs to take the lead away from Northwestern and win the game by one run.
ARK 1-NWOU 4
The Lady Rangers’ losing streak was now up to six. As they had the early lead last game, they had a better chance than ever to keep their momentum moving and get a win against Monticello.
In the second, Rivera hit a double to left center and sent Pack and Muns home to score two runs and take the lead for the Lady Rangers.
In the sixth, Van Haren hit a double down the right field line to send Graves and Raile home to extend their lead to four. With a large lead and only one inning left, the Lady Rangers were looking at ending their losing streak and get their first win in thirteen days. The Cotton Blossoms were able to score a run in the bottom of the seventh, but one wasn’t anywhere near enough to get the comeback. The Lady Rangers end their losing streak at six and look to the next day to play the Cotton Blossoms one more time.
ARK 5-NWOSU 6
The first three innings of the game were scoreless. In the fourth, Muns hit a triple to right field and sent Corn home to get the lead for the Lady Rangers.
In the fifth, Sherwood hit a single up the middle and sent Clark home to make their lead two. In the sixth, Monticello hit a triple and scored two runs to tie the game. In the bottom, Esterly hit a single to right field and sent Muns home to take the lead for Northwestern again. In the seventh, Monticello scored three runs to take the lead and have two runs up on the Lady Rangers.
With the pressure on and not lots of time left, Rivera hit a double down the left field line to send Graves and Raile home and it was a tie game at six. The Lady Rangers were then able to load the bases and Lapera was next up to bat. She was then walked with the bases loaded and the Lady Rangers won their second game in a row with a walk-off run.
NWOSU 6-NEW 5
In the top of the second, Van Haren hit a sacrifice fly to send Muns home and score the first run of the game.
In the fourth, Lapera was walked with the bases loaded and that sent Corn home. Caine then hit a sacrifice fly and sent Rivera home to make it a three-run game. In the fifth, Van Haren was walked with the bases loaded. Lapera hit a single to second base and sent Corn home to make it a 6-0 game. Newman University was able to score five runs in the final three innings, but did not finish off their comeback and the Lady Rangers started a winning streak.
NWOSU 6-NEW 7
Sherwood hit a double to center field and sent Clark and Muns home to get the early lead. Corn then hit a double to center field and sent Sherwood home to make it a three-run game. Newman was able to score five runs in four innings and had the lead by two, 3-5.
In the seventh, Spearman hit a triple to center field and sent Graves home to make it a one-run game. Caine then hit a sacrifice bunt and sent Spearman home to tie the game at 5-5. The game went into extra innings and the eighth was scoreless. In the ninth, both teams scored a single run to keep it tied and send it to a tenth inning.
Newman was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and won the game with a walk-off run. The Lady Rangers will play SNU next at home three times on March 28-29.