FULTON – With the chance to put some distance between first place in the north on Tuesday afternoon, Northwest couldn't capitalize as they dropped a pair of games to streaking Itawamba by 5-2 and 6-5 scores to fall into third place behind Delta and Northeast.
Itawamba improved to 16-16 overall and 7-7 in the north while Northwest fell to 20-11 overall and 11-5.
Northwest out-hit Itawamba 18-13 on the afternoon, but couldn't come up with the timely hits.
In the opener, Itawamba erased an early 1-0 deficit with three runs in its half of the first, taking advantage of back-to-back-to-back walks, a passed ball and a pair of hits. Jake Smith led off the frame with a double and tied the game on a bases-loaded walk before Jacob Shempert and Austin Welch followed with an RBI-single and sac fly to make it 3-1.
Northwest pulled within 3-2 with a two-out, RBI-single by Cody Carson in the fourth, but the Indians immediately responded with two runs in the bottom half to stretch it back out to 5-2.
Reliever Ben Aldridge shut Northwest down the final 2.2 innings, striking out four and not allowing a hit for his first save of the season. Will Cockrell got the win and improved to 2-1 in 4.1 innings of work.
Domenick Carlini fell to 3-4 in a complete-game performance, and got stronger as the game progressed after the early three runs. He surrendered five runs off six hits while striking out three and walking four.
In the finale, Walt McCullough hit a two-run shot to right in the second and Jordan Barnes and Chase Clark followed with RBI hits in the third as Northwest jumped out to an early 4-1 lead.
The Indians would slowly chip away the ensuing four innings and jump back in front.
Cody Shrewsbury's leadoff homer in the third cut the deficit in half before a two-out RBI single from Smith in the fourth and two-run single from William Goss in the fifth put ICC back on top 5-4 after five complete.
Down to its final two outs in the seventh, Jay King and Barnes singled to put runners on before Taylor King delivered a pinch-hit RBI-single to left to knot it at 5-5 and force extras.
Cody Waddell (NWCC) and Dylan Earnest (ICC) were awesome on the mound in relief for each team and gave their offenses a chance to win the game.
Earnest (6-2) went the final 3.2 innings, struck out five and allowed just one hit, while Waddell (0-2) went the final 5.1 innings and also only gave up one hit and struck out five.
Itawamba would find the game-winning run in the 10th after a pair of miscues. Ethan Gill reached on an infield single, after he popped up in front of the plate and three Rangers couldn't make the catch, was sacrificed to second by Welch and later scored on an E5 for the walk-off win.
Northwest out-hit Itawamba 12-7 in the loss, paced by two hits each by Barnes, King and Walt McCullough. Nine Rangers in all had at least one hit.
Northwest will look to rebound on Saturday, traveling to Northeast for a 1 p.m. twinbill.
