SENATOBIA – Friday's 7-4 and 4-1 victories against Mississippi Delta and Coahoma marked a major mileston for coach Mark Carson and the seventh-ranked Northwest baseball program.

With the pair of non-conference victories, the Rangers improved to 14-1 on the season, which is the best start in program history (*based on win-loss records kept).

Northwest had to rally from a 2-0 deficit against Mississippi Delta but took a 3-0 advantage on Coahoma in the second contest of the afternoon.

Sophomore pitchers Dalton Fowler and Landon Zizmann provided stellar outings in their respective starts, with Fowler totaling 11 strikeouts in 4.2 innings against the Trojans and Zizmann throwing 11 strikeouts with no earned runs allowed in a complete game against the Tigers.

Northwest will open MACJC competition at Jones College on Saturday, March 14. Live stats can be followed at nwccrangers.com with both games carried live on jcjc.tv.


Game 1 – #7 Northwest 7, Mississippi Delta 4

After falling behind 2-0 in the first inning, Northwest rallied back for eight hits and a four-run frame in the bottom of the fourth to knock off Mississippi Delta in a seven-inning contest.

Blayke Dendy struck twice for the Trojans in the top of the first, scoring Jatavis Melton on an RBI-triple down the left field line and later scoring himself on a passed ball.

Northwest was unable to get on the scoreboard until the bottom of the third when Kelton Hall stole home, cutting the deficit in half to 2-1.

Fowler sent the Trojans down 1-2-3 in the top of the fourth before the Rangers broke things open with the big four-run output in the bottom of the fourth. A bases loaded walk scored Noah Hattier for the tying run and Northwest took a 3-2 lead on a wild pitch that scored Brayland Skinner from third.

Another wild pitch sent Tucker Richmond in from third and another stolen base for Hall put the Rangers up 5-2.

Tyler Harper helped Mississippi Delta get a run back in the top of the fifth with his RBI-single to center field, but the Rangers responded with a run in the bottom of the frame off Hattier's RBI-single to left center, sending Northwest back ahead by three, 6-3.

Dendy once again proved to be a problem for the Rangers' pitching staff, as his RBI-double to left field allowed the Trojans to close the gap to 6-4 in the sixth. 

Hammer Franks would add an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth however, scoring Richmond from second on a RBI-single through the left side in what would prove to be the winning run.

Hall, Franks and Cade Bell provided six of the Rangers' eight hits, with Franks and Hall added an RBI each. Bell earned the only extra base hit of the contest for Northwest, hammering a double in the fifth inning.

Fowler improved to 3-0 on the season with 11 strikeouts against four walks in 4.2 innings of work. Jackson Smith also earned the save for throwing the final 2.1 innings, providing a strikeouts against an earned run and no walks.


Game 2 – #7 Northwest 4, Coahoma 1

Alex Russell provided Coahoma's lone run with a sac fly to right field in the top of the fourth in an otherwise solid effort for Northwest in the finale of Friday's non-conference twinbill.

Franks put the Rangers on the board in the first inning, scoring Hattier on a sac fly to right. Wesley Lester would follow with a two-run single in the third, scoring Hattier and Hall for a 3-0 Northwest lead.

After Russell made it a 3-1 deficit for the Tigers, Hall responded in the fifth with a solo homer to left field to make it a 4-1 lead for Northwest.

Zizmann took care of the rest in the final two frames, providing five of his 11 strikeouts to prevent any chance of a Coahoma rally.

Hall finished 3-for-3 at the plate with an RBI as Lester provided a 2-for-3 effort with a pair of RBIs.

Northwest was responsible for three errors in the contest, one of which provided Coahoma with an unearned run.