SENATOBIA – Northwest dropped a pair of games to Rend Lake (Illinois) on Saturday at Ranger Field, 9-4 and 5-2, to fall to 3-3 overall on the young season.
The two losses marked the first ever against Rend Lake in six overall meetings.
The Warriors wasted little time in the opener, scoring runs in each of its first two at-bats to take an early 3-0 lead against the Rangers' ace, Cody Reed. Brian Deaton hit a two-run home run to left that bounced off the top of the wall in the second and Rend Lake would add two more in the fourth to take a 5-0 cushion.
But the Rangers finally found some life in their half of the fourth and plated three runs to pull within 5-3. James Lear and Dylan Castoria opened the inning with back-to-back hits to get things started and Taylor King capped the frame with a two-out, two-RBI double.
The teams traded single runs in the fifth before Rend Lake opened it up in the sixth. The Warriors capitalized off two errors in the inning and had just one hit as they plated three runs to pull away 9-4.
Northwest had a season-high four errors in the game despite out hitting the Warriors, 7-6.
Reed (0-1, 7.00 ERA) took the loss after lasting just four innings for a second straight start. He surrendered five runs (four earned) off four hits, walked four and struck out four.
Taylor King led all players from the plate after going 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs.
Devin Luckett (1-0) earned the win for Rend Lake in 3.1 innings of middle relief, giving up two hits.
In the nightcap, the top of the Rend Lake lineup went 6-for-13 with a pair of RBIs and the Warriors got another solid relief effort out of their bullpen from Jason O'Brien who shut the Rangers down.
Leading 3-2 after four complete, Rend Lake used a two-run bomb to left from Brady Wright in the fifth and then rode the arm of O'Brien who gave up just two hits the final three innings to earn the save.
Northwest out-hit Rend Lake for a second straight game, 9-8, led by Garrett Blaylock who went 3-for-3.
The Rangers will return to action on Wednesday, Feb. 27 in Millington (USA Stadium) against Dyersburg State. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 2 p.m.
