WESSON – Northwest split a pair of games at Copiah-Lincoln's Sullivan Field on Saturday morning, knocking off the Wolfpack 13-1 in five innings before falling 2-1 to 6th-ranked Delgado on an RBI-single in the final frame.
Northwest moved to 5-3 on the year while Co-Lin fell to 5-6 and Delgado improved to 10-1.
(Game 1) Sophomore
Kody Kimbrough went 3-for-3 with two home runs, a double and career-high five RBIs as the Rangers pounded out 13 runs off 13 hits in five innings against Co-Lin.
Freshman
Colt Smith (2-0) tossed a complete game, scattering three hits, one run and a career-high eight strikeouts.
After trading single runs in the first inning on
Dalton Dulin's RBI-double and Adrian Brown's RBI-double, it was all Northwest as the Rangers outscored the Wolfpack 12-0 the ensuing four innings.
A five-run second inning, highlighted by Kimbrough's two-run home run to left center, and three-run third inning, gave the Rangers a commanding 9-1 lead after three.
Jamell Newson was 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and RBIs in the leadoff spot while
Stephen Sexton, Dulin and Kimbrough all finished with multiple hits in the win.
(Game 2) A great pitcher's duel ensued in the Rangers' final game of the day, playing Delgado, last year's World Series participant, to a 2-1 game and falling in the final inning.
Clay Casey's solo home run to left in the second gave Northwest a 1-0 lead before Delgado answered right back with a run of its own in the third on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch.
Northwest had the go-ahead run 90 feet away in both the fifth and sixth innings with only one out, but both times could not scratch across a run.
Delgado then scored the eventual game-winning run in the seventh as Troy Lewis reached on a fielder's choice, stole second, reached third on a failed pickoff and then scored on a bloop single to right by Cody Ducote.
The duo of Brooks Vial and Jonathan Ebersole (2-0) struck out 11 Rangers and scattered four hits and a run.
Peter Barton tossed the first three innings before
Colin Liles (1-1) closed out the final four and was the hard-luck loser despite allowing just two hits and no earned runs.
Northwest will return to action on Sunday, March 1 at 10 a.m. against 5th-ranked Southeastern Iowa. The doubleheader will be played at Warren Central High School in Vicksburg, Miss. Live stats will be available.