Northwestern's Johnnuelle Ponce picks up the RBI single to left field.
TOP LEFT: Ranger catcher Jake White catches the pop fly from OBU's batter Brett Bloomfiel, resulting in an out for the Bison during the third inning. TOP RIGHT: Ranger Luis Mendoza homers to right field; Daschal Johnson scores one of three home runs during the first inning for the Rangers. BOTTOM: Oklahoma Baptist's Eric Carlson grounds out at first base.
ALVA, Okla. – Northwestern Oklahoma State University and Oklahoma Baptist combined for 19 home runs in a doubleheader Monday afternoon at Glass Family Field at Myers Stadium as the Bison took both games over the Rangers high scoring affairs.
The two teams combined for 10 homers in the first game to set a new Great American Conference record for combined home runs set last season between Southern Arkansas and Arkansas-Monticello with nine. The Rangers and Bison would have tied that mark with nine in the seven inning nightcap.
Northwestern dropped to 10-4 this season with a 3-3 mark in the Great American Conference. The Rangers will have a few days off before returning to action Friday evening at home when they take on conference leading Southern Arkansas.
Four of the 19 home runs came off the bat of Northwestern first baseman Luis Mendoza, his first four homers of the season.
Game 1
After three home runs by the Bison in the top of the first inning to make it 4-0, the Rangers bats answered with seven runs in the bottom of the inning on three home runs of their own. Mendoza delivered the first shot of the game that brought home Johnson.
Johnnuelle Ponce drew a walk in the next at bat, followed by a Bundy single to set up a three-run home run off the bat of Marques Paige, his third of the season. Two batters later, after Harrison Hull was plunked by a pitch, Randels had his first home run of the afternoon to make it 7-4.
The Bison cut the lead to 7-6 in the top of the third before the Rangers added another run in the home half of the inning. Justin Bundy and Colton Whitehouse started the inning with back-to-back doubles to put runners in scoring position. Bundy crossed the plate in the next at back on an RBI groundout by Paige.
Unfortunately, the visiting team scored six unanswered runs before Mendoza sent a pitch over the wall in right for his second home run of the game to bring the score to 12-9 in favor of the Bison.
Following a couple more big innings from the Bison, Northwestern got its final run on the game as Mendoza singled up the middle to score Johnson from second. Johnson reached base with a lead-off double in the eight.
OBU closed out game one in the eighth inning with a 21-10 victory.
Game 2
The second game proved to be much more competitive with fireworks coming in the late innings for both teams.
Northwestern got on the board in the first inning with a big shot from Carlos Andujar, his third home run of the season. OBU looked to take control of the game against with a big five-run inning in the top of the third, but Bundy drew a very patient walk in the bottom of the inning with the bases loaded to push in another Ranger run.
In the fifth inning, after the Bison tacked on two more to make it 7-2, the Rangers cut the difference to a run on three hits. Mendoza rewarded a walk from Andujar with his first home run of the second game, followed by a solo shot from Ponce for back-to-back jobs. A few batters later, Paige sent a deep fly ball to center that plated Bundy who doubled down the line following Ponce's home run.
After Randels hit a deep home run to lead off the sixth inning that tied the game at seven, Mendoza hit another no-doubter to give the Rangers an 8-7 advantage heading to the final inning.
But the Bison were able to get four runs across in the top of the seventh to take the game 11-8.
Reader Comments(0)