Alva Review-Courier -

A spirited Ranger softball team gave head coach Jill Webb her first career victory on Friday afternoon, as Northwestern split their doubleheader with East Central. After falling 4-1 to the Tigers in the first game, the Rangers rallied back and took a 7-4 win in Game Two. The win marks the programs first conference victory of the season while snapping the teams 14-game slide.

Game 1

On a cold and windy afternoon, the Rangers hosted East Central in game one of the four-game weekend series. The Tigers managed to get two runners on in the top of the first, but Madison Garza shut the door and held them off the board.

In the bottom of the first, Northwestern threatened to break the deadlock. Brittany Corrales singled to left to start the game, followed by a walk to put runners on 1st and 2nd. East Central caught a break early when Madison McGraw hit a screamer down the right field line that would likely have resulted in a two-RBI triple for the junior outfielder, as she landed it right on the chalk line. But the home plate umpire saw otherwise, calling it foul. McGraw reached on a fielder's choice, but Audrey Estes flew out just shy of the wall to end the inning.

ECU managed to scrape one across in the top of the second, taking a 1-0 lead.

Northwestern found themselves on the scoreboard when Brittany Corrales took a pitch from Kelbie Crelia deep over the right field wall to tie the game at 1-1. The solo-shot was her second of the season.

After Corrales evened the score, Garza gave the Rangers a big 1-2-3 shutdown inning in the top of the fourth, keeping momentum with the Black and Red.

Northwestern kept their hot streak going as Jordan Sutton crushed one off the fence in left, but was thrown out trying to turn it into a double. Peyton Garrett and Corrales then drew back-to-back walks, but were left stranded in the inning.

East Central tried to manufacture a run in the top of the fifth, but would be denied by the strong Ranger defense. Mariah Ewy led off with a hit and the next batter moved her over with a sac bunt. But Garza retired the next two Tiger hitters to keep them from cashing in a run.

Heading into the top of the seventh still tied at one run a piece, the Tigers drew a leadoff walk by Ewy who was brought around to score when Alissa Taylor singled to left center, giving the visitors the 2-1 lead. Catherine Barrera followed that up with an RBI standup triple down the right field line and then another single drove her in as well, ending Garza's day.

Freshman pitcher Kendall Jones came on in relief of Garza in the top of the seventh making her fourth appearance of the year, recording the final two outs for the Rangers.

The three runs put up by East Central in the seventh proved too much for Northwestern to overcome, as they dropped the first game 4-1.

Game 2

Armed with the confidence in knowing that Game One was close until the seventh, the Rangers came into the second half of the doubleheader looking to keep the momentum going. Karly Murray, the 5-foot-9 starter out of Hinton, was in the circle for the Black and Red, who were looking to snap a forgettable 14-game winless streak.

Murray was just four over the minimum through her first four innings of work, allowing only two hits, a HBP and had one Tiger reach on an error.

Northwestern came close to opening the scoring in the bottom of the first, with Mills reaching on an error by Ewy and McGraw notching her second hit of the day. East Central right-hander Karlie Milburn settled in, inducing a groundout to end the frame unscathed.

The Ranger bats came alive in the bottom of the second with transfer outfielder Macy Madewell opening the inning with an infield single to the left side. Looking to steal a run, Megan Sanders sacrificed to get Madewell over to second before Murray drew a walk. A groundout to third would advance the runners with two outs, setting the stage for what turned out to be a three-run rally in which the Rangers only got one hit.

Murray maintained a 3-0 lead until the fifth, when a walk came around to score off the bat of an Alissa Taylor RBI double.

Leslie Nation

Peyton Garrett takes off for first base after hitting a shallow flyball out to rightfield.

Iowa native Madi Parrott led off the next half inning with a hit into left field, then stole second on the next pitch. With Parrott in scoring position, McGraw, who had a solid 4-for-7 day at the dish, doubled to the left-center gap to drive in the runner. Junior catcher Audrey Estes then mashed a ball to left for an RBI double of her own, knocking Milburn from the game. Pinch runner Morgan Lewis came around to score on a wild pitch to cap off the three run fifth inning.

ECU got themselves within striking distance after Claresha Clemons took Murray for a ride, cutting the deficit to three.

Northwestern would answer back though, as Parrott (1-for-3, walk, RBI, 2 runs) reached on another error by the Tiger infield and came around to score on a McGraw single.

Newly appointed head coach Jill Webb went to Jones to close out the game with a four run lead in the seventh. Despite surrendering a towering shot by Taylor, Jones settled down and held the Tigers off to preserve the first Great American Conference win for the Rangers in 2017.