TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Northwestern Oklahoma State University baseball needed an early comeback Wednesday afternoon and the bats responded as the Rangers completed a season sweep over Northeastern State in Tahlequah, 11-7.
The Rangers found themselves in an early 6-1 hole of the second inning. The first run of the afternoon for Northwestern came in the top of the second when Johnnuelle Ponce sent a ball over the wall for the first of two homeruns in the game.
Ponce’s second homer of the afternoon was a two-run shot that came in the top of the fourth to cut the NSU lead to 6-3. He also added a triple in the fifth inning that led to him scoring what was the tying run at the time on a Bryce Donovan single up the middle.
It was the fifth time this year the Rangers have had a player with a multiple home run game.
Following Ponce’s home run in the fourth, Jake Darrow earned his first Northwestern hit with a single to right to plate Justin Bundy and make it 6-4.
Brock Randels continues to get his stroke back following an injury in 2018 as he led off the top half of the fifth inning with a home run, his fifth jack of the season. Later in the inning with the game tied at six, Tanner Rutledge delivered a two-run single to give the Rangers an 8-6 advantage.
With two outs in the top of the sixth, the Rangers picked up another run when Luis Mendoza sent his fifth ball of the season over the fence. Darrow then added his second run batted in on the afternoon with a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh to extend the Northwestern lead to 10-7 when Donovan scored from third.
Donovan added the fifth Ranger home run of the day, and his first in a Northwestern uniform, in the ninth for the final run total of 11-7. Northwestern has now hit 32 home runs this season, doubling up the season total by the 2017 Ranger squad, and only 10 away from last season’s total.
Both Ponce and Donovan were 3-for-4 at the plate with three runs scored a piece. Ponce was credited with three RBI and Donovan had two. With two runs batted in Wednesday, Rutledge now has five in the past two games, his only two starts since joining the Rangers. Darrow also added two RBI with two hits.
The trio of Beau Britton, Rafael Lara and Kaleb Honea allowed just one hit in the final four innings in relief for the Rangers. Britton struck out three in two innings of work, while Honea struck out three of four batters in the ninth.
Matt Goertzen (2-1) pitched five innings with six strikeouts to earn the win.
The win improved the Rangers record to 11-7 this season. They will continue their current four-game swing this weekend when they take travel to Arkansas-Monticello for three in a conference series. First pitch is currently scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday afternoon, weather permitting.
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