POPLARVILLE – Freshman Colt Smith threw another gem in a 7-0 game one win and J.G. Lipscomb robbed a potential game-tying two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh to lift Northwest to a 5-3 win in the finale for a sweep Sunday afternoon at Pearl River.

Northwest improved to 8-4 overall and 3-1 in the MACJC while Pearl River fell to 7-13 overall and 1-3 in the conference standings. It's the Rangers' fourth win in the last five meetings overall.

(Game 1) Riding the arm of Smith and multiple hits by Dalton Dulin, Kody Kimbrough, Stephen Sexton and Luke Latham, the Rangers were able to pull away from a 2-0 lead in the later innings thanks to five doubles on the day.

Northwest broke a scoreless tie in the third when LeeMarcus Boyd was hit by a pitch, stole second and third and then scored on an RBI-groundout by Jamell Newson.

Latham scored off a wild pitch in the fifth and his sac fly made it a 3-0 game in the sixth before Stuart Chick's RBI-groundout scored pinch runner Levert Jernigan Jr. for a four-run lead.

A three-run eighth put the game out of reach as Latham doubled to score a pair and later scored off a wild pitch.

Smith (3-0, 0.27) was his dominant self, scattering three hits, no runs and six strikeouts over seven strong innings. Ian Painter then closed things out, allowing one hit over two relief innings.

(Game 2) Northwest came out the aggressor in the nightcap and immediately scored two, quick runs in the first off LSU signee and MLB prospect, Jacob Taylor. Dulin plated Boyd off an RBI-single and later scored off a stolen base and throwing error by the catcher. 

Taylor settled in after that, however, and PRCC slowly climbed its way back into the game.

Kreg Garner's RBI-single in the third, followed by Gage Teer's sac fly in the fourth, tied the game at 2-2 after four.

Jalen Haskin's solo homer to lead off the sixth gave the Wildcats their first lead of the day before a 6-3 double play ended the frame.

With Northwest down to its final out in the top of the seventh, Boyd smashed a 0-0 pitch over the fence in left-center, the first of his Ranger career, to tie the game at 3-3 in thrilling fashion. The Wildcats were rattled after that, walking four consecutive batters to allow Northwest to take a 5-3 lead. 

Koby Busby entered in the bottom half to try and close it out for Northwest, but not before some drama from PRCC.

With two down and a runner on, Garner hit a deep fly ball towards the short porch in right where Lipscomb put his back against the wall and leaped up to make an incredible game-winning catch over the fence. Lipscomb had entered the inning before to pinch-hit for Clay Casey and stayed in defensively, but little did he know his second career putout would help the Rangers pull off an important road sweep. 

Colin Liles (2-1) earned the win in 2.1 innings of relief, while Busby earned his first collegiate save.

Winners in 7 of 9, the Rangers return home for the first time since Feb. 14 on Tuesday, March 17, playing host to Coahoma at 3 p.m. Live video and live stats available at nwccrangers.com.