GOODMAN – Northwest had the bats going in its MACJC opener at Holmes on Wednesday afternoon, finishing with a combined 25 hits on the day as the Rangers swept by a pair of 11-5 and 9-4 finals.
Northwest improved to 8-6 on the season and 2-0 in the MACJC, stretching its current winning streak to six. Holmes fell to 4-12 overall and 0-2 in conference play.
Runs were not hard to come by in the first inning of Game 1 as the Rangers scattered six runs in the top of the inning.
Sophomores
Sallie Rose Carver and
Tori Luke kicked off the scoring in the top of the first inning, giving the Rangers two runs on a pair of back-to-back RBI-doubles.
Sophomore
Allison Williams continued the scoring burst for Northwest with an RBI-double down the left field line and freshman
Sarah Taylor followed with an RBI-single, before coming around to score on a passed ball.
Kailey Walker finally closed out the first inning with an RBI-double of her own, scoring
Harley Smith and giving Northwest a comfortable 6-0 advantage.
After Holmes plated a run in the third inning, the Rangers responded with another big inning of their own, adding five more runs in the top of the fourth.
A wild pitch scored Walker from third to begin the scoring in the fourth inning and the Rangers added four more runs off a pair of two-run singles from Taylor and Smith, stretching the lead to 11-1.
Holmes kept swinging over the next two innings and managed to cut the lead down to 11-4 after the fifth inning, but the Bulldogs could only manage one additional run in the final inning to seal the six-run victory for the Rangers.
Luke (4-2) went six innings for Northwest and struck out four batters, while Smith came on to finish the seventh inning, retiring two Holmes batters.
Luke and Taylor each had big performances at the plate, with both players finishing 2-for-4 and combining for four RBIs.
Walker and Williams went 3-for-5 and 3-for-4, respectively, while adding one RBI each.
A pair of first inning RBI hits from Torey Daniels and Jasmine Cox helped Holmes deliver the first blow in the nightcap, as the Bulldogs held a 2-0 lead until the fourth.
After Luke's RBI-single in the fourth cut the lead in half, Northwest jumped ahead in the top of the fifth with a three-run inning.
Amber Helmes tied the game, scoring from second base off Walker's single up the middle. Walker and
Alexis McShan would both score later in the inning off an infield error, giving Northwest a 4-2 lead.
Holmes would inch closer with a run in the bottom of the fifth, but the Rangers put things out of reach with a five-run top of the seventh.
An error in left field helped the Rangers score three runs and Taylor and Smith followed with a pair of RBI-singles to extend the lead at 9-3.
Holmes added one last run in the bottom of the seventh off an RBI-single from Micah Redd, but Daniels would foul out to Luke at first base to solidify the Northwest sweep.
Smith (2-3) went the distance for Northwest in Game 2, allowing a walk and striking out six batters while also going 3-for-4 at the plate with an RBI.
Walker had another nice game at the plate as well, finishing 3-for-4 with an RBI.
Northwest will resume MACJC play on Friday, March 10 against Pearl River. First pitch in Senatobia is slated for 12 p.m.
Live stats for the conference twinbill will be available at
www.sidearmstats.com/northwestms/softball.
