SENATOBIA – Northwest took advantage of multiple Rend Lake miscues on Saturday afternoon at Jim Miles Field and used solid pitching and defense to down the Warriors 5-2 in both games to improve to a perfect 6-0 on the year.
(Game 1) Colt Smith (1-0) scattered six hits and two runs in seven innings of work in the opener, allowing
Jonathan Lindsey to take over the final two for the save.
Northwest took advantage of a hit-by-pitch, balk and passed ball to take a 2-0 lead after three.
Tanner Lloyd scored on a balk and
Hunter Wilson scored on a passed ball after a one-out walk.
The Rangers stretched their lead to 4-0 in the fifth, using a two-out, RBI-double by
Jamell Newson who later came around to score off an error at third.
Rend Lake (0-2) cut the lead in half in the sixth, rallying with two outs themselves. Aiden McMahan singled to keep the inning alive and Tanner Maskey and Sam Troyer followed with RBI-singles.
Another Warrior miscue allowed Northwest to plate its fifth run, with
Aaron Campbell scoring off a passed ball.
Lindsey allowed three hits and no runs the final two frames to preserve the game one victory.
(Game 2) The top of the Ranger lineup went 6-for-13 with three RBIs and three runs scored to help Northwest to a two-game sweep.
Single runs in the first and fourth innings off RBI-singles from Wilson and
Hunter Bishop gave Northwest a 2-0 lead that would extend to 5-0 after six.
Jake McPhail,
Ryan Skalnik and Campbell all provided run-scoring hits.
Rend Lake's lone threat came in the seventh after starter
Jarod Wright (2-0, 0.64 ERA) was relieved after an outstanding performance. Wright scattered four hits, no runs and eight strikeouts for the win.
Devin Orr got the first two outs of the inning and later ran into trouble after Marquise Lanier's pinch-hit two-run double.
J.R. Miller then entered and got a flyout to record his first collegiate save.
Northwest will continue a six-game home stand on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 2 p.m., playing host to Southwest Tennessee.
