TAHLEQUAH – The Rangers baseball team was set to take on the Northeastern State RiverHawks for a rematch from the 5-1 defeat on Feb. 11. The Tuesday afternoon game was taken by Northeastern State 4-2 as they used a three-run second inning to take control of the game and never lost the lead.
The Rangers' offense started slow, having the first nine hitters retired in order before Jake Darrow got the first hit of the game in the fourth inning. It would be one of five hits for the Rangers. Bryce Donovan, Parker Base, Brock Randels and Colton Whitehouse all finished the game with one hit. Randels and Whitehouse drove in the two runs for the Rangers, each finishing with one RBI. Donovan and Whitehouse each had one run scored.
Colby Carlson got the start Tuesday going seven innings allowing three runs on seven hits, striking out five with two walks. Koby Hudson was the first man in relief allowing a run in the 8th. Kaleb Honea came in for Hudson and pitched a scoreless rest of the 8th inning.
Northeastern threatened in the first inning but Carlson was able to escape the jam without anyone crossing the plate.
The second inning is where Northeastern did their damage. After retiring the Rangers in order for a second straight inning, their offense rallied behind a two-out walk. With runners on second and third Klingensmith singled to centerfield driving in the first two runs of the ball game. He was followed by a Phipps double to center field giving the RiverHawks a 3-0 lead through two innings.
Northeastern pitching staff, which included three different pitchers, retired the first nine Ranger batters before Darrow got the first hit of the day for the Ranger offense. Northwestern would get one more runner on but would leave both stranded.
Carlson would then retire the next 10 straight batters, continuing the pitching duel through seven innings. The Rangers were able to rally in the seventh inning for the first run. After Donovan led the seventh with a walk and was followed by a single from Base, Randels delivered at the plate with an RBI single to left field bringing the deficit to 3-1 after seven innings.
The eighth inning the Rangers tried to rally again as Northwestern loaded the bases in the inning but failed to get a run across the plate in their half of the frame. The RiverHawks built off this momentum from ending the rally to scoring a run in the bottom of the eighth. RiverHawks led 4-1 going into the ninth inning.
Whitehouse got the Rangers a run in the ninth off of a solo home run to centerfield cutting the deficit to 4-2. However, RiverHawks pitcher Dakodah Jones stopped the rally there retiring the next two hitters to end the game.
Rangers fell 4-2 Tuesday afternoon in the non-conference game. The Rangers fall to 7-13 on the season and 1-8 on the road. Rangers will be back in action this weekend, returning home for a three-game series with Arkansas-Monticello.
Reader Comments(0)