NEO Sports
Monty Franks
MIDWEST CITY — After posting an 18-0 drubbing in five innings Sunday in a non-conference double-header over Redlands College, No. 16 ranked Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College completed the sweep with an 8-6 win in the nightcap.
Completing an eight-game road trip with a 7-1 record, the Golden Norsemen are 25-3 on the regular season. The loss dropped the Division II Redlands Cougars to 14-7 on the year.
Redlands is scheduled to visit Homa Thomas Field at 1 p.m. on Saturday for a twin bill to complete the four-game series.
Seven of NEO’s 14 hits in the abbreviated first game were for extra bases as the Norsemen grabbed a 4-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Consecutive singles by Carter Nelson, Hayden Hall and Troy Gagan preceded an RBI single by Joe Fernando.
Reed Fell reached on a fielder’s choice as Hall was forced at home. Hunter Southerland collected three RBI with a bases loaded double down the right-field line.
Chase Burgess started a four-run fourth inning for NEO with a single. Fernando followed with his fourth home run of the year for a 6-0 Norse lead.
Fell extended the inning by reaching on an error by Kevin Survance at second base.
NEO catcher Riley Keizor hit his fourth homer of the season to give the Golden Norse an 8-0 cushion.
Fernando ignited a 10-run fifth inning for the Golden Norsemen with his fifth homer on the year after Gagan had singled to start the marathon. Fell was hit-by-a-pitch and Southerland walked. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Walks to Keizor and Bryson Lierle scored Fell.
Carter Nelson walked as Southerland scored and the bases remained loaded for NEO.
Pinch hitter Caleb Nutting singled scoring both Keizor and Lierle. Facing Redlands third pitcher of the inning — Wade Haugen — Clay Richards doubled to right scoring Nelson.
Burgess followed with his seventh home run on the year as both Nutting and Burgess crossed the plate for an 18-0 Norse advantage.
Fernando went 3-for-5 with 5 runs batted in to lead the NEO offense. Southland, Gagan and Burgess contributed two hits each.
Matthew Gagan (5-0) limited the Cougars to one hit in a five-inning complete game. He collected seven strikeouts and two walks.
Trailing 6-0 through the first five innings of the second game, the Norse offense scored one run in the sixth inning and seven in the final frame for a come-from-behind 8-6 win.
Redlands scored single runs in the bottom of the first and second innings off NEO Matthew Patton. During the Cougars fifth inning Patton gave way to reliever Oscar Gonzales during a three-run outburst for a 5-0 Redlands lead.
After Fernando popped out to start NEO’s sixth inning, Troy Gagan walked. Southerland grounded into a fielder’s choice with Gagan advancing to second. Keizor singled scoring Gagan for a 5-1 deficit.
The Cougars platted an unearned run off NEO reliever Tanner Rutledge (1-0) in the bottom of the sixth inning for a 6-1 cushion.
NEO pinch hitter Korey Wilson popped out to third base to start the top of the seventh inning.
Fell followed with a walk After Jordan Blackmon singled, Burgess singled to load the bases.
Fernando walked scoring Fell. Troy Gagan tripled to right-center clearing the bases for the Norsemen and forging a 6-5 deficit. Intentional walks to both Southerland and Keizor reloaded the bases for the Golden Norsemen.
Lierle doubled down the left-field line scoring pinch runner Marque Luster to give NEO a 7-6 lead. Wilson walked and Fell hit an RBI single scoring Keizor.
Rutledge cemented the NEO victory by striking out Austin Lynch, getting John Paul Tople to pop up to the mound and Matt Garroutte to strike out.
Over three innings of relief, Rutledge struck out four, walked two and allowed only one hit.
Troy Gagan produced two of the seven NEO hits along with a double by Lierle and singles by Fernando, Keizor, Blackmon, Burgess and Fell.