POPLARVILLE – The Northwest softball team dropped a pair of games at Pearl River on Saturday, run-ruled 8-0 in the opener, before a hard-fought 12-9 loss in the finale.
PRCC improved to 21-17 overall, 11-11 in the MACJC. Northwest dropped its seventh straight game to fall to *5-32 overall, 4-18 in league play.
Northwest will have a quick turnaround, hosting Southwest Mississippi in a makeup doubleheader on Sunday in Senatobia and MDCC on Tuesday for Sophomore Day.
Game 1 – Pearl River 8, Northwest 0 (5)
A six-run second for the Lady Wildcats and complete-game three-hitter from Grace Stringer helped PRCC run-rule Northwest in the opener.
Katie Brownlee lasted just two innings in the start, with
Sarah Johnson and
Delta Claire Newman tossing the final two frames. Ranger pitching walked nine batters and struck out just one.
PRCC's big second inning started on a leadoff walk to Neely McLeod. Four doubles in the inning, including a pair of two-run doubles by Dallas Blaker and Elizabeth Taggard made it 7-0.
Northwest was out-hit 8-3, with
Shelby Wilson, Brownlee and
Cylie Robertson picking up the three Ranger hits.
Game 2 – Pearl River 12, Northwest 9
A back-and-forth game that had 11 extra-base hits, including five combined home runs, saw PRCC score four in the fifth to breakaway for the win.
Trailing 3-0 after two, Northwest took its first lead of the day in the third with a four-run inning. Wilson doubled to lead off the inning and scored on an error. A sac bunt from Brownlee and two-run
Madison Crosby single made it 4-3 Rangers.
The lead was short-lived, however, with PRCC scoring three in the bottom half to retake a 6-4 lead.
Scoreless in the fourth, Brownlee's RBI-double and Crosby's two-run homer put the Rangers up 7-6 in the fifth.
McLeod and PRCC immediately responded in the bottom of the inning, with her two-run double putting the Lady Wildcats ahead 8-7.
The lead was 12-7 for the home team heading into the seventh. Newman homered to leadoff the inning and
Kristen Perrigo would single and score to make the final 12-9.
Lacey Coats fell to 5-11 in the circle, allowing eight runs on seven hits, before Newman tossed the final 1.2 frames.
Crosby was 2-for-4 with four RBIs to lead Northwest at the plate. Newman added two hits and
Brittni Beard added another.
*includes forfeit losses for an ineligible player