Ben Van Cleve
Gather Lacefield
Sophomore Ben Van Cleve was a combined 4-for-6 with three home runs and five RBIs in the split.
2
Northwest NWCC 4-1
6
Winner Copiah-Lincoln CLCC 4-1
Northwest NWCC
4-1
2
Final
6
Copiah-Lincoln CLCC
4-1
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Northwest NWCC 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 5 3
Copiah-Lincoln CLCC 0 1 1 2 1 1 X 6 6 2

W: Conner Ingram (2-0) L: Stinnett, Parker (1-1)

8
Winner Northwest NWCC 5-1
5
Copiah-Lincoln CLCC 4-2
Winner
Northwest NWCC
5-1
8
Final
5
Copiah-Lincoln CLCC
4-2
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Northwest NWCC 2 1 1 1 2 0 1 8 14 1
Copiah-Lincoln CLCC 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 5 5 2

W: Fowler, Dalton (1-0) L: Austin Tidwell (1-1) S: Smith, Jackson (1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | by Kevin Maloney

Van Cleve's Big Day Helps Rangers Split at Co-Lin

WESSON – Behind Ben Van Cleve's three home runs and five RBIs on the day and Dalton Fowler's 12 strikeouts in his Ranger debut in the nightcap, Northwest split a doubleheader at Copiah-Lincoln on Monday in its first action in nearly two weeks.

Northwest moved to 5-1 on the young season, while Co-Lin moved to 4-2.

GAME 1 – Copiah-Lincoln 6, Northwest 2

The Wolves took advantage of seven free passes and four Ranger errors to take the opener as both teams were held to five hits apiece.

Solo home runs from Tanner Booth and Van Cleve in the third and fourth innings gave Northwest a brief 2-1 lead before the aforementioned free passes allowed Co-Lin to pull ahead. Parker Stinnett walked three straight batters in the frame, including a bases-loaded walk, that helped put the Pack back in front 4-2.

They'd add solo runs in the fifth and the sixth on an error and Austin Tidwell RBI-single.  

Brooks Italiano was 3-for-3 to lead the Wolves while Brayland Skinner had two of the Rangers' five hits in the leadoff spot.

Stinnett fell to 1-1 on the mound, allowing four runs on three hits with six walks and six strikeouts. Conner Ingram improved to 2-0 in six strong frames for Co-Lin. 

GAME 2 – Northwest 8, Copiah-Lincoln 5

Northwest jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the fifth and was cruising behind Fowler's big debut, but had to hold off a late Co-Lin rally to pick up a split.

A total of 10 different Rangers had at least one hit in a 14-hit attack and Van Cleve was 3-for-4 with a pair of homers.

His second home run put the Rangers up 7-0 before Co-Lin slowly started to chip away with two in the bottom half of the fifth.

Fowler struck out eight straight Wolves at one point in the game but gave up two walks that led to two runs before he was relieved by Cooper Dowell.

Dowell allowed three runs in the sixth and only recorded two outs as Co-Lin drew within 7-5 after six.

Northwest added an insurance run on a passed ball in the seventh and Jackson Smith tossed 1.1 scoreless innings to pick up his first collegiate save.

The Rangers will have a very quick turnaround, traveling to Columbia State on Tuesday for a 2 p.m. twinbill.