POPLARVILLE – Northwest dropped its MACJC-openers at Pearl River on Saturday, with the Wildcats walking off to an 11-1 win in seven innings in the opener and outlasting the Rangers 3-2 in 10 innings to sweep the doubleheader.
PRCC improved to 9-5 overall, 2-0 in conference play, while the No. 20 Rangers dropped to 12-8 and 0-2 in the MACJC.
The Wildcats rode the wind at Wildcat Stadium to four home runs in the opener, with Simon Landry's two-run shot ending the game in the seventh via the 10-run rule.
After a scoreless first, Lucas Walters hit a controversial three-run home run to left that put the Wildcats on the board. The ball appeared to be a good three feet foul and landed well into foul territory, but the home plate umpire signaled fair ball. PRCC would tack on another run on Peyton Lee's RBI-single to take a 4-0 lead after two.
Two Ranger errors allowed PRCC to add two more in the third with two outs, extending the lead to 6-0 after three.
Northwest scored its lone run in the sixth on
Hunter White's RBI-double before a four-run seventh ended it for PRCC.
Dalton Minton tossed four innings of five-hit ball and struck out six, but errors behind him cost him seven runs (one earned) as he fell to 4-2 on the season.
Northwest was out-hit 10-3, stymied by Peyton Lee on the mound who tossed a complete-game, allowing three hits and one unearned run with nine strikeouts on 110 pitches.
Drake Nightengale and Colby White combined for 17 strikeouts in the nightcap, with White holding the Rangers hitless the final four frames and scoreless the final seven.
Aaron Campbell singled and came around to score on a wild pitch to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead in the first before his RBI-double in the third scored White to extend Northwest's lead to 2-0.
PRCC rallied to tie the game at 2-2 with single runs in the third and fourth and neither team was able to scratch across a run the ensuing three innings as the game went into extras.
Northwest loaded the bases with one out in the seventh but couldn't score and got two runners on in the ninth before stranding both. In all, the Rangers left 12 on base in the nightcap.
Kyle Moore did his part in 2.2 innings of relief of
Jarod Wright (6.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 6 K, BB) and kept the Rangers in it late before Donte Peters' solo home run to left-center on the second pitch from
J.G. Lipscomb allowed the Wildcats to walk-off with a 3-2 win in the 10th.
Northwest will travel to 14th-ranked East Mississippi for a doubleheader on Wednesday, March 22 for a 4 p.m. first pitch.
