RAYMOND – Northwest came away with another critical road split at Joe G. Moss Field on Friday, falling 9-7 to Hinds before staging a late-inning rally to win 4-3 in the nightcap.
Northwest moved to 25-15 overall and 13-9 in the MACJC (5th) while Hinds moved to 25-11 and 14-6 in conference play.
The Rangers are 5-3 in the midst of a season-long 10-game road swing and travel to Meridian on Saturday, April 29 to close out the trip.
Game 1 – Hinds 9, Northwest 7
Trailing 4-0 after two complete innings, the Rangers rallied to take a 7-5 lead in the seventh before falling 9-7 to the Eagles in the opening contest.
Quinton Logan's sac fly to center got Hinds on the board in the first inning and the Eagles used a bases-loaded walk to score another run, ending the inning with a 2-0 lead.
Hinds would add another pair of runs in the second, thanks to a passed ball and Staton Todd's two-out RBI-single through the left side.
Brody Catt would help the Rangers spark an eventual seven-run rally in the top of the fourth, as his RBI-single through the right side allowed
Dakota Dailey to score from third.
Grant McMinn followed with a sac fly RBI that brought in
Aaron Campbell, cutting the Hinds lead in half at 4-2.
Spencer Cayten helped bring Northwest within a run in the top of the sixth, as his triple off the center field wall set up an RBI-single from Catt. Hinds would get some breathing room in the bottom of the frame, however, with a Will Craft RBI-groundout, pushing the lead back to 5-3.
Northwest once again responded with a four-run top of the seventh, highlighted by Campbell's RBI-double and Cayten's three-run homer to left center to take a 7-5 lead.
Hinds caught the last bit of momentum in the eighth inning, however, as the Eagles scored four runs off Jackson Mitchell's three-run homer and an RBI-single from Nathan Babb. The Rangers threatened in the ninth, but a double play at the plate ended the contest and left Hinds with the Game 1 victory.
Dalton Minton got the no-decision in six innings of work, scattering six hits, five runs, two strikeouts and three walks.
Nathan Harrison (3-5) allowed the go-ahead run in the eighth to take the loss.
Northwest out-hit the Eagles 12-9 in the loss, with Cayten leading the Ranger effort at 2-for-5 with a triple, a home run and three RBIs. Campbell also finished the day 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI.
Game 2 – Northwest 4, Hinds 3
Trailing 3-1 after the first inning, the Rangers completed the comeback with three runs over the last two innings to defeat Hinds 4-3.
David Herrington made his presence felt right away, sending the third pitch of the game to left center for his seventh career home run. The solo shot put the Rangers up 1-0 out of the gate.
Hinds responded with three runs in the bottom of the frame, as the Eagles scored a pair of runs off Todd and Logan's RBI-single and double. Kyle Schimpf would bring in the third and final run for Hinds with an RBI-groundout to first.
Northwest trailed 3-1 until the top of the sixth when Dailey's RBI-double to left center would score Herrington from first. Campbell's RBI-grounder to second allowed Dailey to score and the Rangers left the inning with a 3-3 tie.
A pair of leadoff walks and a sac bunt from
Hunter White in the seventh helped set up a prime scoring scenario for the Rangers. With
Brooks Boolos at the plate, the Rangers would deliver, as his fielder's choice to second allowed
Zack Pope to score as the go-ahead run.
Fresh off escaping a jam in the sixth,
J.G. Lipscomb (3-2) would close things out for Northwest with a no-hit bottom of the seventh, picking up the win on the mound.
Jarod Wright surrendered three earned runs off four hits in the first but responded with four shutout innings, surrendering just one additional hit in the no-decision. Lipscomb also earned three strikeouts in his two innings of action.
Herrington was responsible for two of the Rangers' four hits, finishing 2-for-4 with a home run and an RBI.
Northwest will travel to Meridian on Saturday, April 29 for a 2 p.m. doubleheader.
