WTC jumped out to an early lead, and used some timely defense to stymie Ranger in the early going.
After loading the bases with no outs in the fourth, WTC starter Logan Hill got a strike out and a double play to leave the inning unscathed.
Ranger then plated five with two outs in the fifth, before going up 6-5 heading into the ninth, when Chance Gilbert drove in Eric Brown on a sacrifice fly to tie it.
Brown reached on a single, moved to second on a wild pitch and advanced to third on a sacrifice from Josh Heiney to set up the tying run.
“We played the best we’ve played all year,” head coach Billy Hefflinger said. “In the ninth we did everything we had to do. We’re playing really well, we just need to feel winning -- get that killer instinct to put teams away.”
Brown was 2 for 5 with an RBI, while Derek David collectyed three hits and drove in a run.
Gilbert drove in two on a hit and a sacrifice, and Josh Heiney added an RBI.
Trey Roberson went 1 for 4 with two stolen bases.
“It was a loss, but there were a lot of positives,” Hefflinger said. “I feel like we played a good game -- we used our team speed, Logan pitched great and the guys played hard. I feel good going into the series this weekend with New Mexico Military.”
The Westerners will take on NMMI in Roswell for a three-game series starting Friday.
The games were originally slated to be played at the new on-campus complex at WTC, but the collapse of a beam Monday night has altered the schedule.
Weather has hampered the start of repairs and with reconstruction expected to last for two to three weeks, athletic director Dave Hanes said the team has swapped home-and-home dates with Abilene Christian and El Paso Community College. The Westerners are now expected not to be at home until March 3 against ACU.