SUMMIT – Northwest split a road softball doubleheader at Southwest Mississippi on Thursday, surrendering a walk-off home run in the seventh to drop the opener 3-2 before
Tori Luke's career outing lifted the Rangers to a 5-3 win in the nightcap.
Northwest improved to 19-17 overall and 13-11 in conference play, surpassing last season's total in both categories. Southwest moved to 18-21 overall and 14-10 in MACJC play.
Game 1 – Southwest 3, Northwest 2
After hanging four consecutive zeros and taking a 2-1 lead into the final frame, Southwest rallied with a hit-by-pitch to the No. 8 hitter and got a first-pitch, walk-off home run from leadoff Miranda Magee with two outs for the 3-2 comeback win.
Southwest led 1-0 in the second on Kelcey Bremenkamp's solo home run to right-center but Northwest would immediately respond to take a 2-1 lead in the third.
Kailey Walker led off the inning with a bunt single, and after a sac bunt and error, scored on
Tori Luke's RBI-groundout to tie it.
Allison Williams then delivered a two-out, RBI-single up the middle to give the Rangers their first lead, 2-1.
Harley Smith was dealing in the circle and worked herself out of a few jams to take a one-run lead into the seventh.
Northwest had an opportunity to expand on its 2-1 lead, getting the leadoff batter on in the seventh, but unsuccessful sac bunts the ensuing two batters erased what would have been the Rangers' third run on
Sallie Rose Carver's single to left-center.
The run proved to be costly in the bottom of the frame, with Magee's two-run shot to left-center with two outs easily clearing the wall for the game-winner. Smith faced the 7-8-9 hitters in the Southwest lineup but plunked pitcher Kassie Shipley that helped the Lady Bears flip the lineup over.
Shipley (7-10) tossed a complete-game for the victory, scattering eight hits and two unearned runs. Smith was the hard-luck loser, allowing three runs on seven hits with three strikeouts.
Game 2 – Northwest 5, Southwest 3
Sarah Taylor and
Sallie Rose Carver combined to go 7-for-8 with four RBIs and
Tori Luke tossed a career-high eight strikeouts as Northwest rallied for a game two win to split its final regular season road doubleheader.
Jordan Fitzgerald's sac fly gave Southwest a 1-0 lead after one and head coach
Mike Rowan made the early switch to Luke in the circle in place of Smith.
The move paid off as Luke scattered six hits and two runs the final six innings and the Ranger bats came alive for 13 hits.
Carver's first collegiate home run, a two-run shot to right-center, gave Northwest a 2-1 lead after three before
Leeah Henson's RBI-groundout extended the lead to 3-1 after four.
Luke's only bad inning, a two-run, four-hit bottom of the fourth, allowed Southwest to knot the game at 3-3.
Carver once again provided the go-ahead hit in the fifth, hitting an RBI-single into right to score Walker after a leadoff single. Taylor then capped a 4-for-4 game with an RBI-single up the middle to make it 5-3 Rangers.
It was all Luke from there, with the sophomore allowing two hits the final three innings with four strikeouts to preserve the win.
Northwest will host East Mississippi on Wednesday, April 19 in a 2 p.m. doubleheader.
