Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SENATOBIA – Northwest's record-breaking season came to an end on Saturday in the opening round of the MACJC Playoffs, as Pearl River knocked off the Rangers 5-1 and 5-4 to sweep a best-of-3 series.

Pearl River improved to 26-16 overall and advances to the state tournament May 2-4 in Fulton along with host Itawamba, Gulf Coast and Jones County. Northwest ended its season at 29-14 overall.

PRCC took a 1-0 series lead on Friday, taking advantage of three Ranger errors and scoring four runs in the fourth to open what was a scoreless game after three innings.

Micalah Beall and Rachel Hickman both dominated early, allowing just two hits apiece through three.

But PRCC's big four-run fourth was too much for Northwest to overcome, with the Lady Wildcats using one-out RBIs from Hickman and Allie Flint. Kaci Lantrip added an RBI-single in the fifth for a 5-0 lead.

The Rangers got a run back in the sixth on Kendall Alford's one-out double, but left her stranded at third with the chance to pull within three runs.

Hickman would then close out a complete-game, four-hitter with a scoreless seventh to improve to 17-8 in the circle. She scattered one run and eight strikeouts.

In a back-and-forth Game 2 on Saturday that saw four lead changes, PRCC scored the go-ahead and series-clinching run on Hannah Holloway's RBI-groundout in the sixth.

PRCC jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first but Northwest came firing back with three in the third for a 3-2 lead after three. Peyton Clanton hit a pinch-hit first pitch home run to left to start the scoring and was followed four batters later by Haley Vance's two-run double for the go-ahead run. 

Kiley Dunagan, who scattered four hits, four strikeouts and three runs through four innings, was relieved in the fifth for Jessica Holliday after a one-out single. After a sac bunt put the tying run in scoring position, Kelsea Lewis smashed a two-run home run off the scoreboard in left to give PRCC back a 4-3 lead.

Again the Rangers fought back and found the tying run in the bottom of the fifth, with Roxanna Kimes hitting an RBI-single to second to score Alex Barrett.

Northwest's final chance came in the seventh trailing 5-4. Barrett reached on an error to put the tying run aboard before an unlucky break. Beall hit a rocket through the 4-3 hole that hit Barrett for the first out but would have put runners at first and third with no outs. Back-to-back groundouts would end it, with Courtney Warr earning the save for PRCC in relief of Hickman.     

Northwest fell one win shy of the 30-win plateau but had an outstanding statistical season, setting new school records in slugging percentage (.492), hits (390), doubles (83), triples (22), stolen bases (143), hit-by-pitch (48), RBIs (253) & total bases (550).