SENATOBIA – Behind
Colt Smith's complete-game performance in the opener and thanks to a quick six runs in the nightcap, Northwest was able to sweep a Good Friday baseball doubleheader over Southwest Mississippi by 6-3 and 6-5 finals.
Winners in six straight, Northwest improved to 19-8 overall and 12-4 in the MACJC. Southwest dropped to 11-17 overall and 4-10 in the MACJC. It marked the first meeting between the two teams since 2006.
(Game 1) Smith allowed two runs in the top of the first, both unearned after an error, but was strong down the stretch in allowing just one run (in the seventh).
Northwest tied it up at 2-2 in the third, with
Hunter Wilson's RBI-single scoring
Levert Jernigan Jr. and
LeeMarcus Boyd coming around to score from second after an errant throw from the catcher.
A four-run sixth inning broke the game wide open.
Dalton Dulin's RBI-single up the middle gave the Rangers the go-ahead run and
Clay Casey followed two batters later with a three-run home run, his team-leading sixth of the year, to make it 6-3.
Southwest cut the gap to 6-4 in the seventh off Walt Aldridge's double to right but would strand the bases loaded to end the game after an infield pop up.
Smith (5-0, 0.62 ERA) scattered nine hits, three runs (one earned) and three strikeouts in the victory.
(Game 2) A four-run third inning gave Northwest a 6-3 lead and the Rangers were able to hold on for the one-run win.
Trailing 3-2 heading to the bottom half of the third, Casey's RBI-single to left scored
Stuart Chick and
Stephen Sexton followed two batters later with a two-out, three-run blast to right-center to take the lead.
Southwest scratched across single runs in the fourth and seventh innings to pull within 6-5 before
Colin Liles and
Ian Painter closed the door on a sweep.
Liles struck out L.D. Coney with the bases loaded to escape a jam in the eighth and Painter worked around a jam in the ninth to earn his second save of the year.
Austin Towles (2-1) got the win in five innings, scattering six hits and four runs (two earned) on 60 pitches.
Northwest will return to action on Tuesday, April 7 at Lawson State. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 1 p.m.