Box Score
ARKADELPHIA, Ark.- The Ouachita Tigers and Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers kicked off their three game conference series on Friday afternoon, facing off at Rab Rodgers Field in Arkadelphia. The Rangers won the game by a score of 6-3, despite a ninth inning rally that saw Tiger players on every bag around the diamond.
 
Northwestern scored the first run of the game in the second inning, when Jonathan Freemyer used a sacrifice fly to score Trevor Long. The Tigers were unable to answer the run in the bottom half of the inning, and the Rangers continued to add to their advantage in the third.
 
The third inning saw a double play ball resulting in a run and another runner advancing to third for the Rangers. Juan Natal came to the plate and hit a single to center field though, scoring another run and giving Northwestern a 3-0 lead.
 
Ouachita got their first run of the day in the bottom of the fourth, when Chris Tavares hit a bomb over the left field wall for a solo shot, cutting the Ranger lead to two runs in the process.
 
Northwestern added another run in the fifth before finding two more runs in the seventh, giving themselves a 6-1 advantage.
 
The Tigers then notched another run in the seventh, as Landon Flax recorded an RBI double that scored Luis de Jesus.
 
The fun began in the bottom of the ninth inning though, as the Tigers loaded the bases with just one out. Duncan Collins recorded the only RBI of the inning though, as he singled to right field and scored Parker Norris, who came in as a pinch runner for Will Wallace, from third. The Tigers still had the bases loaded, but were unable to capitalize, with a pair of pop ups sealing their fate.
 
McCrae Jones highlighted individual performances for the Tigers, as he finished the day 3-of-4 from the plate. Tavares recorded a run scored and an RBI, but both came off of his only hit.
 
Austin Watson was credited with the loss for the Tigers after throwing three innings and giving up three runs. He recorded three strikeouts during his time on the mound.
 
The Tigers return to action on Saturday, when they face off with Northwestern in a doubleheader that begins at noon.
 
-Josh Fink, Sports Information Director