Alva Review-Courier -

Russellville, Ark. – The Red and Black went on the road taking the first two games of the series against Arkansas Tech for the series win. The Rangers used strong pitching outings from Creedon and Swanson to take the first two games. Northwestern has now won five consecutive games.

The Rangers now improve 22-11 with a 17-9 conference record on the season, as they drop Arkansas Tech to 20-13 with a 17-9 conference record.

Game One

The Rangers' pitching was led by Scott Creedon, who received the game one start of the doubleheader. The Ranger starter would throw 7.1 innings allowing two runs on seven hits with three strikeouts earning his sixth win of the year. Kaleb Honea would close the game out with a five-out save to achieve his conference-leading ninth of the season.

The offense, led by Daschal Johnson, got the scoring started for the Rangers with a two-run home run in the first inning for one of his game-high three hits. Johnson would score a game-high three runs along with 2 RBI. Marques Paige was second on the Rangers with two hits in the game along with Grant French. Paige had one RBI in the game. French finished the game with 2 RBI. Parker Base jad the final Ranger RBI of game one. Blake Hoffman had a single in game one. Yugo Hamakawa came around to score a run.

The Rangers opened game one up with early runs as the offense struck early. After Hamakawa reached first on an error, Johnson was ready to make them pay as he blasted a home run to left field to give the Rangers an early 2-0 lead. Creedon would work around a double in the first inning to hold the Rangers lead.

The pitchers settled in from there, as both sides retired in the second inning before Tech respond in the third. Arkansas Tech had their first three runners reached safety before scoring their first run on a bloop single to right to cut the Rangers lead to 2-1. Creedon escaped further damage in the inning.

The pitchers in Creedon for the Rangers and Patrick Miner for the Wonder Boys started to settle into the game, making it difficult on the offenses. Miner retired 15 straight Northwestern hitters before Beiswanger ended that stretch with a single off the wall. Arkansas Tech did not get a hit off Creedon for the next three innings, having baserunners reach from two hit by pitches.

In the sixth inning, the Wonder Boys tried to get a runner in scoring position as, following a single, Detweiler would be caught stealing as White would throw a perfect throw followed by a perfect tag by Hamakawa for the first out of the inning. Creedon struck out the following batter, holding the one-run lead and the momentum for the Rangers.

Northwestern struck in the seventh inning, extending their lead with two runs. Johnson led the inning off with a double. Paige followed with an RBI single off the right-field wall. Following a stolen base for Paige, French would drive him in with an RBI single to right field for a 4-1 Rangers lead, forcing Minor out of the game.

After a quiet seventh inning, Tech struck in the eighth inning with back-to-back doubles, with the RBI double coming from Detweiler. It forced Creedon out of the game as Honea finished the inning with two flyouts.

The Rangers were holding a 4-2 lead before adding insurance runs. Rangers loaded the bases with nobody out before French singled home another run for his fifth straight game with at least two hits in the game.

Honea closed out his ninth game of the season for his conference-leading nine saves working around a single but ended the game with a ground out to third, finishing off the fourth straight Rangers victory.

Game Two

The Rangers' pitching was led by Ethan Swanson receiving the game two start, throwing five scoreless innings and striking out five batters. Swanson now has thrown 11.1 straight scoreless innings in his last two outings. Kaleb Honea threw in relief, retiring the last six outs, allowing one run for his 10th save of the season.

The Rangers' five hits were each by different players: Johnson, Hoffman French, Dylan Norsen and Parker Base. The three runs were driven in by Thomas Beiswanger, Blake Hoffman and Dylan Norsen. Hoffman's came off of a solo home run to left field. The three runs scored were from Hoffman, French and Norsen.

After getting a fast start in the first game, Rangers looked to do it again with a hit and a walk in the first inning but were unable to capitalize as the Wonder Boys were able to escape damage.

Arkansas Tech tried to respond in their half of the first inning, but Swanson escaped all damage, striking out his first batter of the game.

The Rangers would go down quietly in the second as Arkansas Tech attempted to get on the board once again, having their first three batters reach base safely. Swanson settled down, forcing a double play from Paige to White to Base.

In the third inning, both teams left base runners on base with Swanson working around a runner in scoring position with back-to-back flyouts. In the fourth inning, Arkansas Tech had a runner reach in scoring position for the third straight inning. Swanson was able to work around the jam with back-to-back strikeouts.

The fifth inning is when the Rangers struck first with a two-run fifth inning. French led things off with a single to right field. Norsen was able to drive him in with a double down the left-field line. Base singled. moving Norsen to third. Beiswanger pushed the second run home with a sacrifice bunt squeeze play up the first baseline for a 2-0 Rangers lead.

Swanson retired the Wonder Boys in order with his first 1-2-3 inning of the day in the fifth as he held the Rangers' lead at 2-0 through five innings.

Blake Hoffman extended the Rangers' lead in the top half of the sixth with a solo home run to left field to make it 3-0.

In the bottom half of the sixth, the Wonder Boys put their first two runners on base, threatening to score again. Honea came into the game to throw in relief. The Rangers escaped the inning following an incredible triple play from a line drive to second as Beiswanger tagged second and threw to first, completing the triple play.

Arkansas Tech had a run cross the plate in the seventh and final inning on an RBI double but Honea shut the door down following the double as he would not allow further damage, retiring the final out of the ball game for his 10th save of the season to lead the conference.

Game Three

The Red and Black concluded their three-game series in Russellville, Arkansas, Monday afternoon, falling 6-5 in game three. The Wonder Boys used a three-run ninth inning to steal the win over the Rangers. Northwestern still wins the season series over Arkansas Tech two games to one.

Northwestern falls to 22-12 on the season with a 17-10 Great American Conference record as Arkansas Tech moves to 21-13 and 18-9 in conference play. The Rangers 17-10 record is fourth in the conference.

Blake Hoffman led the Rangers in hits with two on the day, finishing with two runs and an RBI, coming off a solo home run in the seventh inning. Dylan Norsen led the team with 2-RBI on the day with Thomas Beiswanger, Marques Paige, and Hoffman with the other RBI. Daschal Johnson, Yugo Hamakawa, Grant French were the other Rangers hits for five runs on eight hits on the afternoon.

Dillon Van Oosbree received the start in the final game of the series, throwing two innings striking out three batters. Austin Thomason threw four innings, allowing three runs on three hits striking out three Wonder Boy hitters. Grant French came in relief, finishing with one inning pitched striking out one. Connor Gibson threw 1.2 innings allowing two runs on three hits. Kaleb Honea allowed one run in his inning of work.

The Rangers attempted to strike, first with Hamakawa reaching base safely after getting hit by a pitch, but the Rangers would not move him over.

Van Oosbree settled in nicely for the Rangers, first retiring the side in order in the opening inning, followed by the second inning he would strike out the side to retire the first six Wonder Boy hitters he faced.

The Rangers' half of the second inning, the Red and Black would jump on the board first. Hoffman lined a leadoff double to right-center field, as French pushed a single through the left side for the first run of the day. Norsen followed the single with an RBI sacrifice fly, giving the Rangers a 2-0 lead through the first two innings.

Northwestern added more in the third inning with two more runs. Johnson started things for the Rangers with a single to right field. Following a wild pitch moving him to second, Paige hit an RBI single, knocking him home. Paige scored the fourth run for the Rangers on a Norsen RBI double to right-center field.

The Wonder Boys went down quietly in the third inning as Thomason walked a batter but allowed nothing to score.

Rangers threatened to score again in the fourth, moving runners to second and third but coming up empty in the fourth inning.

Thomason continued to pitch where Van Oosbree left off, with three straight scoreless innings since taking over, as through five innings the Rangers led 4-0.

After a quiet Rangers sixth inning, the Wonder Boys picked up their first hit of the game with a one-out double. Thomason worked around the double, holding the Wonder Boys scoreless.

In the seventh inning, the Rangers added to their lead with a solo home run crushed to right field by Blake Hoffman putting the Rangers up 5-0.

Arkansas Tech responded in the seventh inning. Detweiler started the inning off with a solo home run. Maddux followed with a single to right field. The Wonder Boys then drew three consecutive walks to force in two runs, bringing the Rangers' lead down to 5-3

Northwestern held that 5-3 lead as Gibson came into relief finding a way to escape an eighth-inning jam.

Northwestern went down in order in the ninth before Arkansas Tech had a big ninth inning. After retiring the first two Tech hitters, Crews singled to extend the game, followed by a Robbins single. Arrieta, Tech's first baseman, delivered a three-run home run to give the Wonder Boys the walk-off win over the Rangers by a score of 6-5 for the victory.

Rangers vs SWOSU Friday

Northwestern would be back in action to start a six-game home-stand Friday night to open a three-game series against the Bulldogs of Southwestern Oklahoma State. The series schedule concludes with a Saturday doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.