WESSON – Freshman
Ben Van Cleve's game-tying homer in Game 1 in the seventh helped the Rangers rally for a 9-5 victory in the opener and
Nathan Harrison's five strong innings in his first career start in Game 2 led Northwest to a 7-2 win to complete the sweep.
Northwest improved to 16-8 overall and 6-4 in the MACJC. Co-Lin fell to 14-9 and 3-7 in conference play.
Winners in 12 of its last 16, the Rangers will travel to Coahoma on Wednesday, April 4 for a noon doubleheader.
Game 1 – Northwest 9, Co-Lin 5
Trailing 5-4 heading to the seventh, Van Cleve's solo home run to left on the first pitch he saw knotted the game at five apiece and the Rangers added four runs on five hits in the ninth for the come-from-behind win.
The teams exchanged single runs in the second before the Wolfpack took a 3-1 lead in the third on C.J. Estave's RBI-single and a double steal at second and home.
Tanner Leggett's leadoff double in the fifth helped the Rangers eventually plate three in the frame to retake a 4-3 lead. With two outs,
Brooks Boolos delivered a bases-clearing double into left-center.
With one swing of the bat in the sixth, Ryan Zimmerman's solo blast to right tied it again at 4-4. Mark Hubbard then followed two batters later after a double with a bloop single to right that put Co-Lin back in front, 5-4.
Van Cleve tied the game at 5-5 with a solo smash to leadoff the seventh and it was his leadoff single in the ninth that sparked a four-run rally. After ensuing singles by
Will Brooks and Boolos,
Tanner Booth's sac fly plated the go-ahead run.
Justin Milam's fielder's choice and then a two-run single by Leggett stretched the lead to 9-5.
Brant Blaylock allowed two hits in the ninth before a double play and strikeout looking ended the game.
Drew Hurst (1-0) got the win in one inning of relief, striking out the side in the eighth.
Kyle Moore allowed five runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts in 5.2 innings in a no-decision.
Northwest had 12 hits, led by three apiece by Boolos and Leggett.
Game 2 – Northwest 7, Co-Lin 2
Scoreless after four in a pitcher's duel between Harrison and Co-Lin's Christian Day,
Justin Milam's two-run blast to left put the Rangers on the board before a four-run seventh inning rally closed out a sweep.
After Milam's two-run homer in the fifth gave the Rangers the lead, Co-Lin immediately responded with two of its own on a pair of RBI-singles from Jaylen Williams and Zimmerman to knot it at 2-2.
Hayden Leatherwood singled, stole second and scored on an error to make it 3-2 in the sixth.
Hunter White's leadoff single in the seventh started the big rally, followed by a hit-by-pitch, two-run single by Blaylock and error at second that allowed both Blaylock and Leggett to score.
Hurst once again set down the Wolfpack in order, this time with three straight strikeouts in the sixth. He punched out six of the seven batters he faced in the doubleheader.
Harrison (2-1) scattered five hits, two runs (both unearned), three strikeouts and two walks in five innings in his first career start. Day struck out 11 for Co-Lin, but allowed five runs on four hits in 6.1 innings to fall to 4-2.
