By RANGERS ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT
Northwestern Oklahoma State Softball continued their late-season road swing as they headed for Arkansas to take on the Henderson State Reddies in GAC action. The black-and-red ran into a great performance from HSU starting pitcher Michelle Sorensen in the first game as she threw a no-hitter in a 3-0 Henderson State victory. But the Rangers answered back in game two by riding a big three run fourth inning to take the 3-1 win, splitting the afternoon.
April 23 Game 1
Finding themselves in the middle of a tight post-season race, the Rangers sent junior Madison Garza to the circle in an effort to stave off the Reddies from climbing up the conference standings.
HSU managed to snag three early runs off of the Garza after a sac-fly and a two-run double gave the home team a 3-0 lead after one inning.
That would be all the offense that junior right hander Michelle Sorensen needed as she held the Rangers hitless for her fifth career no-hitter. Macy Madewell broke up the perfect game bid in the top of the fifth when she drew a lead-off walk which Megan Sanders followed up with a free pass of her own, but both runners were stranded.
Certainly not to be overlooked is the performance by Garza who after giving up three early runs, held Henderson State to just two hits and one walk over her final five innings of work.
Northwestern dropped game one by a final of 3-0.
April 23 Game 2
Sophomore Karly Murray led the Rangers to a big 3-1 win in game two after surrendering just one unearned run in the first inning, after the first batter of the game reached on an error and came around to score on a sac-fly. Murray picked up her eighth win of 2017 by tossing seven innings while holding the Reddies offense to just one hit and three walks.
The Ranger bats were held relatively quiet until the fourth when Madi Parrott and Madewell led off with back-to-back base hits. After picking up a run thanks to an error by Reddies center fielder Alexis Morton, Sanders was hit by a pitch to give Brittany Corrales a chance to do some damage. The Seward County Community College transfer from Greely, Colo. gave Northwestern the 3-1 lead with a two-run double scoring Sanders and catcher Audrey Estes.
Henderson State threatened to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh when a leadoff single and a Corrales error gave the Reddies runners on second and third with nobody out. But Murray shut the door on HSU by getting Sorensen on strikes before inducing two fly-outs to secure the Rangers’ 16th GAC win of the year.
Northwestern Oklahoma State University took on Henderson State University in the second and final day of the series. Game one would not go the Rangers way as the Reddies would take game one of the day 8-0. Northwestern kept things close in game two but dropped the finale 1-0.
April 24 Game 1
Having split day one of the series Northwestern looked to grab two wins from Henderson State on day two. They would call on Garza to help them accomplish that in game one.
HSU managed to snag three early runs off of Garza in the second inning and would add five more in the fifth to cushion their lead.
Jalena Arthur was brought out of the bullpen for Northwestern in the fifth where she would only face one batter and allowed one hit.
Junior Sydney Bonner of HSU kept the Ranger bats fairly quiet allowing just four hits and no runs. Northwestern would get hits from Parrot, Madewell , Alex Hayes and Peyton Garrett but could not muster any runs out of them.
Northwestern dropped game one by a final of 8-0.
April 24 Game 2
Sophomore Murray got the start in game two as the Rangers looked to take the final game of the series to stay ahead of the Reddies in the race to a playoff berth.
Murray held the Reddie offense at bay for most of the game allowing just five hits and one run. Her only blemish came in the fourth inning where she gave up a homerun which would be the only run given up.
The Ranger bats were held relatively quiet as Northwestern only had four hits in the game with Senior Amber Mills leading the offense with two hits. Madewell and Estes contributed one hit a piece to the stat line.
One run would be all Reddie pitcher Michelle Sorensen would need as she picked up where she left off in game one yesterday allowing just four hits and no runs.
Henderson State would take game two 1-0.