By RANGERS ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT
The Northwestern Oklahoma State Softball team lost both games of a doubleheader in the series finale at Southeastern Oklahoma State on Saturday. The Savage Storm beat the Rangers 10-1 in the first game, then came from behind to take a 3-2 win in game two.
Game 1
Southeastern caught a break early, when in the bottom of the first the Savage Storm scored two runs on two hits and an error. After Kennedy Salyers singled up the middle, a double to left center by Connor Harmon put runners on second and third. Madison McGraw threw it in to third, but the throw got away and ended up in the Southeastern dugout. In a questionable application of the rules, the umpires awarded both runners two bases on the throwing error, leading to the first two runs of the game.
The Rangers got themselves on the board in the top of the second to cut the deficit to one. Audrey Estes led the inning off with a double to right, which Macy Madewell followed up with a single past the shortstop. Megan Sanders then cashed in the runner with a hit through the left side to make it 2-1 in favor of Southeastern.
But the Savage Storm tagged Northwestern with two more in the bottom of the second after a leadoff walk and a 2-run home run off the bat of Keeshia Thompson. Madison Garza, the Ranger starter, allowed two more runners in the inning before stranding both.
The Rangers got some life in the top of the fourth when Madewell (2-for-2) singled to left for her second hit of the afternoon, but the Storm were let off the hook after Sanders grounded into an inning ending double play.
Garza pitched herself out of a big jam in the fifth, keeping the Southeastern lead at just three. A double down the left field line and a single weren’t enough to faze the Ranger right-hander, as she got a groundout and a strikeout to end the threat.
After scoring in the second, the Ranger offense was unable to crack Emily Cudd, who earned her third win in two days. Cudd held Northwestern to just one earned run on six hits and did not walk a batter in her six innings of work.
The first game of the doubleheader ended after Thompson hit her second long-ball of the day, this time a grand slam over the wall in left to give Southeastern the 10-1 victory. Spotty defense proved costly once again for the Rangers, as seven of the 10 runs off Garza were unearned thanks to two Ranger errors.
Game 2
With hopes of salvaging a win in the four game series, Northwestern got a spark in the top of the second when McGraw took Ashley Moore deep for a solo home run.
Sophomore Karly Murray toed the rubber for the series finale, looking to put a stop to the Rangers 12 game slide. Surrendering two hits and striking out four through the first three innings, Murray looked sharp from the get-go.
Back to back singles by Harmon and Jordyn James gave Southeastern life in the bottom of the fourth, but Murray settled down to get the next two hitters to pop out on the infield.
The Rangers couldn’t get much of anything going in the top of the fifth, and the Savage Storm took advantage. After recording the first two outs of the inning, Murray gave up a two-out walk to Symphoni Shomo that would come back to hurt the Rangers. Another walk followed by back-to-back doubles to left allowed Southeastern to take a 3-1 lead after five.
But the Rangers weren’t done yet.
In the top of the sixth, McGraw took a 1-1 offering from Emily Cudd and deposited it off the scoreboard in left field, cutting the lead to 3-2. The junior out of Broken Arrow went 2-for-3 in game two with two home runs, her second and third of the 2017 season.
With a chance to tie the game in the top of the seventh, the Rangers got a leadoff single from Megan Sanders, who dropped one into the outfield grass past a diving Shomo. Katie Bell came on to pinch run with Alexis Hayes at the plate, who was looking to bunt Bell over to second. Hayes fouled the first one back before popping her next attempt to the catcher. Bell would be left standing on first as the next two Rangers flew out to end the game.
Murray went six innings in the loss, surrendering three earned runs on six hits and three walks, striking out six.
Ranger Softball will return home to Alva Friday and Saturday as they host the Tigers of East Central University for a four game Great American Conference series.