By Eric Scott
NWOSU Sports 

Rangers fall in extras to Harding, 6-3, earn split with 7-3 win in nightcap

 

March 31, 2019

Trey Lunn

Northwestern's Daschal Johnson hits a single home run to left field in Friday's game versus Harding University.

ALVA, Okla. – Northwestern Oklahoma State University baseball halted a Harding seven-game win streak in the second game of a doubleheader Friday afternoon at Glass Family Field at Myers Stadium.

After the Bisons took the first game in extra innings, 6-3, the Northwestern offense stepped up in the nightcap for the split, 7-3. The two teams will play the series rubber match Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. in Alva.

The Rangers are now 18-14 this season and 8-11 in the Great American Conference.

Justin Bundy and Johnnuelle Ponce kept pace with each other as the Northwestern home run leaders as they both blasted their ninth home runs of the year. Both hitters had three hits in the two games with two runs batted in apiece.

Bundy picked up his first RBI of the day in the fourth inning of game one with an RBI single to drive home Ponce to tie the game at one.

After Harding took a lead with two runs in the top half of the eighth, Daschal Johnson cut into the lead with a solo blast that make the score 3-2. Bundy then tied the game in the bottom of the ninth with his home run to send game one into extra innings.

Unfortunately, the Bisons picked up three runs in the 10th innings for the 6-3 final, and their seventh straight win.

In his third start of the season, Kaleb Honea had a quality outing on the mound with four strikeouts in 8.1 innings of work, while both outs recorded by Beau Britton in relief were by way of strikeouts. Dillon Van Oosbree was credited with the loss.

Things didn't start so well for the Rangers in the second game with the Bisons loading the bases with no outs in the first inning. However, only one run scored in the inning as Carlos Andujar started a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning with minimal damage.

The Rangers quickly took the lead in the bottom of the inning. After Johnson walked, Andujar singled and both advanced on a passes ball, Bryce Donovan reached on an infield single to second. When the Harding second basemen misplayed the ball, both Johnson and Andujar were able to cross the plate to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead.

Trey Lunn

Ranger Brock Randels fields the third baseline ball and throws Hardings' Luke Whitaker out at first.

With the game tied at two in the home half of the fourth, the Rangers regained the lead for good. Bundy led the frame off with a single to center and scored a little later in the inning on a Luis Mendoza RBI infield single. Luis Cintron then stepped in and sent a pitch back up the middle to plate Donovan, who previous walked, and Mendoza to extend the lead to 5-2.

Ponce added to the Northwestern lead in the fifth inning when he followed an Andujar single with a two-run shot for the sixth and seventh Ranger runs of the game.

Senior shortstop Andujar improved his average with a 3-for-6 day at the plate, while scoring twice.

Earning the victory in the second game was Jacob Uhing as he allowed just three hits and an earned run in a five-inning start. Koby Spicer and Brandon Nesseralla then came in and pitched the final two innings to claim the victory for the Rangers.

 

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