By KAROLINA JURESIUTE
Student Reporter
Softball Lady Rangers defeated Newman Jets in both games in Tuesday’s non-conference doubleheader.
Lady Rangers, for the first time in 2024 season, got to play at home on the new turf field. NWOSU swept the doubleheader 2-0 against the Newman Jets. The Lady Rangers also swept the whole series against Newman Jets 4-0. After Tuesday’s games, the Lady Rangers advanced to a 14-20 record. Lady Rangers won the first game of the day against Newman 5-1.
The first game leaders were Gabrielle Sanchez with two runs scored and two runs batted, Laney Anderson added two hits and a run as well. The first inning, both teams were scoreless. The Lady Rangers’ Anderson and Rachel Sherwood scored the first two runs for the Rangers when Sanchez doubled to the right field 2RBI.
Then Sanchez brought another run for the Rangers after Macy Spearman reached first base on an error by Newman’s short stop.
With Lady Rangers having the 3-0 lead pitcher Hannah Howell threw a perfect third inning. Sherwood scored another run in the third inning after Anderson reached first base.
Howell also pitched a scoreless fourth and fifth innings. Sanchez added another run in the fifth inning for the Lady Rangers after Tatum Winters singled to the middle. The lead grew to 5-0 Rangers.
The Newman Jets finally got their first and only run of the game in the sixth inning after a leadoff triple. The Lady Rangers were scoreless in the sixth inning. Howell ended the game with a perfect 1-2-3 inning and the Lady Rangers won the first game of the doubleheader afternoon 5-1.
Howell was the winning pitcher, and it was her seventh win of the season.
The second game of the afternoon Lady Rangers won 2-0 against the Newman Jets.
For the second game Ireland Caro pitched for the Lady Rangers instead of Howell. Caro pitched a complete game shutout; Newman Jets didn’t score. Lady Rangers had three hits each by Rosemary Rivera, Howell, and Spearman. Newman Jets tried to score first but the Lady Rangers defense didn’t allow them to do so. Just like in the first game first inning, both teams were scoreless.
The Lady Rangers struck first; Anderson brought the first run of the game for the Rangers after Rivera hit a single. 1-0 Rangers.
After the first run, nobody scored until the fifth inning. Spearman extended the Lady Rangers’ lead to 2-0 after Howell singled RBI. The Newman Jets remained scoreless for the rest of the game.
Caro closed out the game after she had a perfect seventh inning pitching. That was her fourth win of the season. She only allowed two hits and she earned her first shutout of the season. The Lady Rangers advance to a 14-20 record while Newman Jets 14-22.
The next conference game series for the Lady Rangers will be April 5-6 when they travel to Ada, Oklahoma to face the East Central Tigers.
Also, the team from down south will be coming to Alva, Oklahoma for a doubleheader on April 9.
