Alva Review-Courier -

GOODWELL, Okla. – Northwestern Oklahoma State baseball took to the road Tuesday as they wrapped up a tough stretch of five games in three days with a non-conference doubleheader against Oklahoma Panhandle State University. The Rangers exploded for 15 runs and got a strong performance on the hill in the opener to win 15-3 but were stymied offensively in the second game as they fell 7-1 to split the day.

Game 1

A day after the Rangers finished a Great American Conference series win over SNU, starter Nick Llorente knew he needed to give the bullpen a break, and gave pitching coach Aaron Gilbreath exactly what he wanted to see. Llorente impressed in his fifth start of the season as the sophomore struck out nine Aggies over six innings, allowing just three knocks and two earned runs.

The Ranger offense was both patient and efficient in the first game, picking up 10 hits while drawing 12 walks (one shy of their season high of 13 vs FHSU), including three each to center fielder Logan Jones and catcher Harrison Hull. While the OPSU pitching staff struggled with their command, Northwestern's hitters refused to chase as they struck out just twice in 45 plate appearances.

Judah Zickafoose (2-for-4, BB), Justin Bundy (2-for-3, BB) and T.J. Kassner (2-for-3, 2 BB) each had a multi-hit game as the red-and-black managed to put up a crooked number in four of the seven innings, giving Llorente more than enough run support to earn his second win. Armed with a 12-run lead, reliever Collin Fouts threw a scoreless 7th inning to give the Rangers the 15-3 victory, their 17th of the year.

Game 2

After dominating Panhandle in the first game, the Rangers bats struggled to gain any sort of momentum as they managed just two hits off Aggie starter Blake Tucker.

Making the start on the hill for Northwestern was freshman Trevor Stone out of Carmichael, California in search of his second win of the season. But the right-hander lasted only one-plus inning as he surrendered one in the 1st and three more in the 2nd after giving up four earned on three hits with three free passes, before giving way to St. Gregory's transfer Brendan Yates.

Yates, a 6-foot-7 sophomore from Oklahoma City, pitched the Rangers out of trouble in the 2nd when he induced three straight groundouts to Steven Deckard at third base and then threw a clean 3rd.

With the bullpen stretched thin after a tough stretch of baseball, Northwestern would use three more relievers for short outings, going to Bryson Wrobel (1.1 IP, ER), Nick McKinney (0.2 IP) and Brandon Nesseralla (0.2 IP) to close out the game.

The Rangers' best chance offensively came in the 4th inning when Johnnuelle Ponce followed up a leadoff walk with his team-leading 12th double. With runners on second and third, the Aggies elected to intentionally walk the dangerous bat of Judah Zickafoose, loading the bases for Luis Mendoza with nobody out. Mendoza did the job a sac-fly to left field that scored Luis Cintron. But a 6-4-3 double play off the bat of Deckard ended the threat.

Up Next

Northwestern will return to the friendly confines of Glass Family Field at Myers Stadium this weekend when they host Ouachita Baptist University for a three-game Great American Conference series. Tonight will see the two teams square off at 7 p.m. under the lights before wrapping up the series on Saturday, April 14, with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.

Saturday is Senior Day at Myers Stadium as the Rangers will honor 10 seniors before first pitch in what will be the last home games of the season.