SENATOBIA –
Madison Crosby finished 4-for-6 at the plate with a double and two RBIs to lead Northwest at the plate in a midweek split against Southwest Tennessee on Wednesday evening.
Northwest moved to 12-14-1 on the season as the Lady Saluqis dropped to 24-15 on the year.
Game 1 – Southwest Tennessee 8, Northwest 4
Using a solid combined outing in the circle from Hannah Finley and Destiny Upton, the Lady Saluqis also crushed 14 hits in the Game 1 decision against the Rangers.
MaKayla Pugh got Southwest Tennessee on the board in the top of the first with an RBI-double to left center, only to see Northwest tie it up in the bottom half of the inning with an error in right field that allowed Crosby to score.
Southwest Tennessee would add to its lead with a pair of runs in the third and three more in the top half of the fourth, pushing the Rangers into a 6-1 hole.
Northwest would close the gap a bit in the bottom of the fourth, as a sac fly from Crosby and an RBI-single from
Briley Terry brought in
Shelby Wilson and
Kristen Perrigo on the throw, bringing the Rangers within 6-4.
Upton would shut Northwest down over the final three frames, allowing just one hit to earn her seventh save of the season.
Southwest Tennessee would also add a pair of runs in the top of the sixth, giving the Lady Saluqis a comfortable 8-4 margin that would hold for the final.
Crosby, Perrigo and
Maddy Politte finished with two hits apiece to lead Northwest at the plate.
Lacey Coats dropped to 4-7 in the circle after four earned runs on 10 hits with three strikeouts in 3.2 innings of work.
Game 2 – Northwest 9, Southwest Tennessee 4
After building a 6-0 lead after three complete, Northwest held off a late surge from Southwest Tennessee to salvage the split in the nightcap.
Northwest did the most damage in the bottom of the second inning, scoring four runs off an RBI-single from Crosby, a two-run double from
Delta Claire Newman and another on the same play due to an error in right field.
An RBI-double from Perrigo and an RBI-single from
Taylor Lott allowed the Rangers to push their lead to 6-0 in the third, before Southwest Tennessee finally got on the board off a fielder's choice to second from Jordyn McKinney in the top of the fourth.
A series of miscues from the Lady Saluqis allowed Northwest to add two more in the bottom of the fourth, scoring off a passed ball and an error at third.
Southwest Tennessee would trim the gap to 8-4 in the top of the fifth, thanks to an RBI-triple from Jennie Bryant and a two-run double to right from Finley.
Northwest would hold the opposition scoreless over the final two frames while also getting a run back in the bottom of the sixth from Terry, holding on for the victory.
Crosby and Lott each finished 2-for-3 with an RBI to lead the Rangers at the plate.
Newman started the game and pitched three solid innings with three strikeouts against four hits, a walk and an earned run.
Sarah Johnson would finish out the remaining four frames for Northwest, evening her record to 3-3 on the year.
Lily Soverns (5-8) was credited with the loss for Southwest Tennessee, allowing five earned runs on seven hits.
Northwest will step back into conference play on Friday, April 12 against 10th-ranked Copiah-Lincoln. Those games will once again be held at the Senatobia Sports Park at 2/4 p.m. with live stats available at nwccrangers.com.
