Rangers comeback to win on Senior Day behind nine home runs

ALVA, Okla. – The regular-season finale was a slugfest between the two teams combining for 37 runs, 45 hits, 15 home runs and 101 total bases. The 37 runs ties a conference record, while the 15 home runs are the new combined most between two teams, along with the 45 hits and 101 total bases, all set conference record marks for a single total between the two teams. The Rangers would come back to win this game behind a five-run ninth inning to win 19-18.

Northwestern improves on the season to 26-14 on the year, with a 21-12 conference record, while Southern Arkansas falls to 27-13 with a 23-10 conference record.

"I'm extremely proud of the toughness and resilience of our team. This group battles until the last out of every game. I'm very happy we were able to finish our regular season with a hard fought win, and we look to carry that momentum into next Friday for the first round of the GAC tournament," head coach Ryan Bowen stated after the win.

The Rangers offense was led by Blake Hoffman, leading the team in RBI in the game with five on the day, followed by Marques Paige and Daschal Johnson with four each. Grant French had three RBI, followed by Chase Orrock with two and Dylan Norsen with one. Hoffman and Paige led the team with four hits each, followed by Johnson, Orrock, and French, all with three. Thomas Beiswanger had two with Yugo Hamakawa and Norsen, each with one. Hamakawa and Beiswanger would each draw three walks on the day, and Beiswanger finished with a team-high four runs.

Grant French started the game for the Rangers, throwing 2.1 innings while striking out four, allowing six runs in the start. Austin Thomason would relieve him, throwing three innings on the day, allowing seven runs. Dillon Van Oosbree threw two innings, allowing four runs. Rafferty Brown finished with a scoreless outing while picking up his third win on the season before Honea came in for his 11th save of the season.

The Muleriders jumped out early in game three of the series scoring the first four runs in the top half of the inning. It all started with a leadoff double, for the visitors would later get their first runs on board with a three-run home run from their catcher McGee. They would score the fourth run on a single by Muldoon following a triple from Manning.

It did not take long for the Rangers to answer back in their half of the first. Beiswanger would lead off reaching base, followed by Johnson. With runners on second and third, Hoffman put the Rangers on the board with a 3-run home run bringing the deficit back within one. French would follow Hoffman going back to back with Hoffman to tie the game.

The visitors would respond instantly with a two-run home run to the left, regaining the lead at 6-4 in the second inning. The Rangers would do the same though answering back fast with two outs in the second inning would have Beiswanger and Hamakawa reached base safely before Johnson would deliver a 3-run home run to left field, putting the Rangers in front 7-6.

After a scoreless top half of the third inning, Orrock would help increase the Rangers lead with a home run to center field, giving the Rangers an 8-6 lead. Northwestern would later load the bases in the inning as Paige would drive a single into center field, adding two more runs for a 10-6 lead. Hoffman would single home the final run of the inning to knock in Johnson for an 11-6 lead after three innings.

In the fourth inning, the Muleriders would get one run back on a solo home run to left field before a scoreless frame from their pitching.

Southern Arkansas would climb back in the game-tying the score at 11. It started on a solo home run from Muldoon, followed by two singles and a double, with Morris driving in the inning's final run.

The Rangers were ready to answer back with back-to-back home runs by Paige and Hoffman to left and center field, respectively, putting the Rangers out in front 13-11 before Orrock would drive in the third run of the inning with an RBI double to the right-field gap scoring French for a 14-11 lead.

After having their first two runners reach from a single and a walk, Peterson doubled to the left, scoring a run. Orr would follow with a three-run blast to left field, putting the visitors back in front 15-14. Rangers would go down scoreless in their half of the inning.

In the seventh, both teams would be held scoreless for the first time of the game neither team was able to score in an inning, keeping the game at 15-14 in favor of the Muleriders. Baker would help the visitors add to their lead in the eighth with a runner on first he delivered a triple to score the run before scoring on a wild pitch to push the Rangers deficit to 17-14.

The Rangers offense was not done yet, though; putting runners on the corner with nobody out, Johnson hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Beiswnager to bring the score to 17-15. The Red-and-Black would score four more in the inning to take a 19-17 lead at that point. Paige hit a home run to straightaway center field for his 18th of the season. His 18th home run ties the Northwestern Division II era record for most in a season by an individual. After a double from Hoffman, French would give the lead back to the Rangers 18-17 with the 2-run home run to right field. Norsen would knock in the final run for Northwestern with his solo shot to center, going back-to-back with French. That was the ninth Rangers home run of the game and 14th combined between the two teams. The 14 is a Great American conference single-game combined record which was previously 11 in March of 2020.

The Muleriders would add a solo home run in the ninth for the 37th run between the two teams, which tied a GAC record previously set in March of 2020. Honea would close the door from there, completing his 11th save of the season as the Rangers picked up their 26th win of the season.

The 26 wins on the season are now the most for Rangers baseball since the 2012 season when the team won 32 games. Northwestern will be back in action on Friday, May 14, in their first Great American Conference postseason game, playing host to Arkansas Monticello. The game begins at 6 p.m.