DECATUR – Northwest closed out the softball season on a high note with a split at No. 12 East Central on Thursday, using a shutout from Katie Brownlee to win the opener, 5-0, before falling 9-1 in five innings in the finale.

Northwest ends the year 8-35 overall, 7-21 in MACJC play. ECCC improved to 28-12 overall, 21-7 in the league, and will be the No. 4 seed in next week's MACJC Softball Tournament.

Game 1 – Northwest 5, ECCC 0

Brownlee, one of five graduating sophomores, saved her best effort of the season for her final game, scattering a season-high seven strikeouts, seven hits and no runs to help Northwest stun East Central in the opener.

The Warriors were shutout for the first time all year and had a 13-game winning streak snapped. 

Scoreless into the fifth, three straight singles in the inning from Sarah Johnson, Briley Terry and Madison Crosby, helped the Rangers take a 1-0 lead.

Northwest bust the game open in the seventh with a four-run frame, highlighted by Kristen Perrigo's two-run double and RBIs from Crosby and Delta Claire Newman, to take a comfortable 5-0 lead with three outs to play.

Lacey Coats tossed a scoreless seventh, allowing one hit, to close out the win.

Crosby was 3-for-4 with two RBIs in the leadoff spot and Johnson was 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored.

Game 2 – ECCC 9, Northwest 1 (5 inn.)

East Central jumped on top early with a two-run homer from Anna McNeer in the first and led 7-1 after two innings to run away with a run-rule victory to split the doubleheader.

Northwest's lone run came in the second on Shelby Wilson's leadoff walk. She'd come around to score on a passed ball and error.

The Rangers were held hitless the final three innings, as Braelyn Boykin allowed just two hits in four strong innings. 

The top of the ECCC order was 6-for-10 with six RBIs and six runs scored.