Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 BOONEVILLE – Northwest closed out the 2014 regular season in style on Thursday at David Carnell Memorial Field, knocking off the Northeast Lady Tigers by 7-3 and 8-3 finals to clinch the No. 2 seed and home field in the first round of the state playoffs next week.

Winners of 10 in-a-row, Northwest improved to 29-12 overall and 18-6 in the north to finish runner-up in the division. Northeast dropped to 19-25 and 14-10 in the north and will be the No. 4 seed next weekend.

Northwest scored 15 runs off a combined 23 hits (eight extra-base) and the pitching staff allowed just two earned runs in 14 innings. It was a total team effort in the sweep, payback from two close losses to Northeast at home back on March 21.

In the opener, the teams traded single runs the first two innings and the game stayed tied 1-1 into the fourth.

Naomi Newcom led off the fourth with a single and was sacrificed to second before Drennan Nemnich came in to pinch run. Two batters later, Alex Barrett hit a two-run triple into right-center to score Andi Barrett and Nemnich for a 3-1 lead. 

It was a 4-2 Ranger lead after six before Northwest broke it open with three runs in the seventh. Haley Vance hit a leadoff double and pinch-runner Tori Turnipseed later scored on a fielder's choice while Alyssa Dean followed with an RBI-triple and An. Barrett connected on an RBI-double. 

Northeast threatened in the seventh and pulled to within 7-3 before Lindsey Shaw entered for Lydia Dias and got a double play and groundout to end the game. 

Kiley Dunagan improved to 7-4 overall in 4.1 innings of work, allowing one earned run with two walks and two strikeouts. Shaw grabbed her third save of the season and fifth of her career, setting a new all-time saves record at Northwest.

Northwest out-hit Northeast 13-8, with five players finishing with multiple hits. Westbrook was 2-for-3 with a run scored and two stolen bases, passing Linsey Hebert for first all-time with 27 career stolen bases. 

It was all Rangers in the finale, jumping out to an 8-0 lead in the third and cruising to the finish line for an 8-3 win. After a leadoff walk to Vance in the third, Roxanna Kimes belted a two-run home run to right to open the game up. 

Micalah Beall improved to 6-2 in the circle, scattering four hits and two unearned runs in a scheduled three innings of work. Jessica Holliday tossed three shutout innings with three strikeouts and Kimes tossed the seventh to close it out. 

Northwest will host the No. 3 seed out of the south (TBD) on April 25-26 in Senatobia in a best-of-3 series in the first round of the MACJC Playoffs. We'll play one game on Friday and two on Saturday (if necessary).