SENATOBIA – Northwest squandered a five-run lead in the fifth and watched Gulf Coast plate 14 unanswered to run away with a 17-8 Game 2 win on Friday to sweep a best-of-3 three NJCAA Region 23 playoff series at Jim Miles Field.

Northwest saw its season come to an abrupt end at 30-14 overall, missing a regional for the first time since 2014. Gulf Coast advances to next week's NJCAA Region 23 Tournament in Eunice, La., their first trip since 2012.

The Rangers entered the weekend series winners in 18 of their last 22, had swept Gulf Coast in the regular season series and won eight of nine against the Bulldogs.

But MGCCC rallied for a 9-5 win in Game 1 of the series on Thursday, scoring four runs over the final two innings, and did the same thing on Friday with 14 unanswered over the final five.

Northwest led 2-0 after one on a pair of RBI-singles from Hayden Leatherwood and Ben Van Cleve.

The Rangers extended their lead to 5-1 in the third, scoring all three runs on a pair of Bulldog errors.

MGCCC cut the lead in half in the fourth, using an RBI-double from Chase Fagan and RBI-single from Fisher Ray.

Northwest responded in the bottom of the frame on Brant Blaylock's three-run blast to left-center, pushing the lead out to 8-3. It was Blaylock's 18th home run of the year, breaking a 19-year single-season school record.

All the Ranger momentum, however, was taken away in a matter of two innings.

Brandon Parker's two-run home run in the fifth, followed by an RBI-double and groundout, cut the Ranger lead to 8-7.

MGCCC then plated six runs on five hits in the sixth to take its first lead, 13-8, using Ike Williams' leadoff triple to start the big inning. Logan McGrew's bases-clearing triple provided the gut punch.

Northwest had no answer after that, held to just three hits the final four innings by reliever Ty Barnes.

The Bulldogs tacked on two more home runs in the ninth to push the final tally to 17-8.

Northwest was out-hit 19-10 on the day and committed a season-high five errors. Blaylock was 3-for-4 with a double, home run and three RBIs and Van Cleve finished 3-for-4 with an RBI.

Barnes (8-5) picked up the win in 5.2 relief innings, allowing no runs on four hits with seven strikeouts. Northwest tagged Bulldog starter Kole Kittrell for eight runs in 3.1 innings. 

Reed Logsdon fell to 5-3, allowing four runs in just 0.2 relief innings. Daniel Shelton tossed three shutout innings.