SCOOBA – Northwest and 14th-ranked East Mississippi split a doubleheader on Wednesday evening at Gerald Poole Field, with the two teams combining for 46 runs off 54 hits in a slugfest. EMCC won the opener 15-11 before the Rangers bounced back with an 11-9 win in extra innings in the nightcap.
Both teams moved to 17-7 in MACJC play, currently tied for third in the standings. Northwest is now 26-11 overall and EMCC moved to 23-13.
(Game 1) In a back-and-forth contest that saw five lead changes and was tied 8-8 in the sixth, EMCC rallied for seven runs over the final three innings to come away with a 15-11 win.
James Clark's two-run homer in the first gave the Rangers some quick momentum but EMCC came right back with a six-run bottom of the first off Ranger starter
Jonathan Lindsey to take a 6-2 lead after one.
Hunter Lacefield came on in relief of Lindsey after one out and would toss a gutsy 4.2 innings to keep the Rangers in striking distance. Lacefield scattered two runs off four hits while striking out three and walking one.
Northwest scored five unanswered to pull back in front 7-6, scoring single runs in the second and fourth and plating three in the fifth, two by way of
Luke Latham's first home run of the year.
Chris McCullough's two-run home run answered Latham's, giving the Lions back the lead 8-7.
After tying it again at 8-8 on
LeeMarcus Boyd's sac fly in the sixth, EMCC pulled away thanks in large part to David Pimentel's three-run homer.
Mississippi State commit Ryan Rigby shut the Rangers down the final two frames after Ryder Davis allowed four runs to allow Northwest to get within 14-11.
EMCC pounded out 18 hits in the win against 13 for Northwest. Clark and Latham had three hits apiece for the Rangers.
Peter Barton took the loss after allowing six runs off seven hits in 1.2 innings of relief.
(Game 2) After falling behind 4-0 after three, Northwest rallied to retake a four-run lead in the seventh but had to hang on for dear life in extra innings to win 11-9 and salvage a split.
Latham's two-run single pulled the Rangers within 4-2 in the fourth before Boyd's two-run single knotted the game at 4-4.
Dalton Dulin, the nation's leader in stolen bases, stole third and then came around to score off a wild throw by the catcher to make it a 5-5 game after five complete.
Stephen Sexton's RBI-single, followed by
Jamell Newson's bases-loaded walk and
Cody Cooper's RBI-single made it an 8-5 lead in the seventh. Sexton would then score off a wild pitch, giving the Rangers a 9-5 lead.
EMCC would not go down quietly, scoring four runs off Ranger ace
Colt Smith in the bottom of the frame to force extras.
In the eighth, Latham's sac fly, followed by a balk on Kyle Liberto, allowed
Clay Casey to score to make it 11-9 Northwest.
Koby Busby then shut the door with a scoreless eighth to pick up the win and end a wild pair of games in Scooba.
Northwest will travel to 20th-ranked Meridian (30-11, 18-6) on Saturday, April 25 for a 2 p.m. doubleheader.
