SENATOBIA – No. 10 Northwest broke out six hits in a Game 1 victory against Columbia State, but the Chargers turned the tables in the nightcap to leave Jim Miles Field with a midweek split on Wednesday afternoon.

Sophomore Colton Peel picked up the win during his season debut as newcomer Landon Zizmann finished with the save. Redshirt sophomore Reed Logsdon was handed the loss in Game 2.

Northwest (3-1) will spend the weekend on the road against Baton Rouge, facing the Bears in a 1/4 p.m. twinbill on Saturday, Feb. 22. Live stats will be available at nwccrangers.com.


Game 1 – #10 Northwest 4, Columbia State 1

Sophomore Kelton Hall finished 3-for-3 at the plate with a double, a triple and an RBI as the Rangers defeated Columbia State 4-1 in the opening game of Wednesday's doubleheader.

Hall broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth by smashing an RBI-triple to score Tucker Richmond, before coming across the plate later in the frame off a Hammer Franks RBI-single, as Northwest took a 2-0 lead.

Freshman Noah Hattier helped boost the Rangers' lead in the bottom half of the fifth with an RBI-single through the left side, making it a 3-0 lead for the Rangers.

Jackson Jarvis would deliver Columbia State's only run in the top half of the sixth with a solo homer to right, but the Rangers would earn another run in the bottom of the sixth as Kelton Hall scored from third on Peyton Mills' double play grounder to second base.

Zizmann made quick work of the Chargers in the top of the seventh, striking out the first two batters before a groundout to first ended the game.

Hall accounted for half of the Rangers' six hits with Franks, Leatherwood and Hattier earning the remaining three. 

Peel (1-0) lasted four innings with three strikeouts against three walks, allowing a hit and no runs. Sophomore Trent Bunting also posted a solid two innings of relief work, fanning four batters despite allowing the Jarvis home run.


Game 2 – Columbia State 6, #10 Northwest 1

Peyton Mills' solo homer in the fourth provided one of the Rangers' three hits and the only Northwest run, as Columbia State's 6-1 victory handed Northwest with its first loss of the season.

Columbia State broke out the bats for seven hits and gained a 2-0 advantage in the top of the third, thanks to an RBI-double from Wade Richardson and an RBI-single from Steven Minter.

A passed ball allowed the Chargers to plate their third run in the top half of the fourth and David Wilson followed with a two-run homer to send Columbia State ahead 5-0.

Although Mills' solo shot provided a brief spark for Northwest in the bottom of the inning, the Rangers were unable to stage a rally, leaving a runner stranded with a 5-1 deficit.

Columbia State delivered the final blow in the top of the seventh with Minter's RBI-double to right field and mowed the Rangers down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the frame.

Aside from the home run, freshman Cade Bell provided the only other extra base hit for Northwest, a double in the bottom of the sixth.

Reed Logsdon (0-1) allowed four earned runs in three innings of work, striking out one batter against two walks. Freshmen Alonzo Hunt, Zach Willingham and Joel Wilkinson picked up relief work over the final three innings, combining for five strikeouts against three walks and two earned runs allowed.