SENATOBIA – Northwest racked up 22 combined hits and sophomore Harley Smith picked up both wins in the circle as the Rangers knocked off Blue Mountain JV 10-1 and Southwest Tennessee 7-5 on Monday to move back to the .500 mark on the season.

Northwest improved to 12-12 and has won eight of its last 10 games.

Weather permitting, the Rangers will travel to Copiah-Lincoln on Thursday, March 29 for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.

Game 1 – Northwest 10, Blue Mountain 1 (5 inn.)

Northwest scored six runs in the bottom of the first, highlighted by a two-run single by Sarah Johnson and two-run single by Maddy Politte, and cruised to a 10-1 run-rule victory in five innings.

Blue Mountain (1-5) struck first, using a leadoff walk that came around to score on an error. 

After six in the first, Morgan Gresham's bases-clearing double in the second helped score three of the Rangers' four runs as the lead was 10-1 after two.

Smith relieved Johnson after two frames and allowed just one hit the final three innings for the win.

Northwest out-hit BMC 11-3, with eight different Rangers picking up a hit.

Game 2 – Northwest 7, SW Tennessee 5

Nine different Rangers picked up a hit and Smith tossed four strong innings in relief of Katie Brownlee in a hard-fought 7-5 win to sweep the day. 

Northwest led 4-0 after one behind Smith's two-run homer and RBI's from Sarah Taylor and Politte.

The lead was short-lived, however, as Southwest Tennessee (8-20) rallied with two runs in the second and third to tie the game at 4-4. 

The Rangers responded immediately in their half of the third, using an RBI-single from Shelby Wilson and two-run single from Gresham, to push the lead back to 7-4.

Southwest got to within 7-5 in the fifth, scoring off a throwing error, but wouldn't get any closer.