BOONEVILLE - After almost an entire season without regular season games, the Northwest softball program stepped foot on the field for the first time since March 6, 2020, notching a split against Calhoun and East Mississippi on Wednesday afternoon.

Sophomore Saige Koczka pitched 8.1 combined innings, earning the start and the win in the nightcap against East Mississippi. She also finished 3-for-8 at the plate with two doubles and an RBI.

Laila Armstrong and MyCala Helms also finished with three hits each, while Maddie Brower earned her first collegiate home run.

Northwest (1-1) will resume play late next week at the Rush Invitational in Meridian.


Calhoun 9, Northwest 4
A seven-run third inning ultimately made the difference in the Rangers' 9-4 loss to Calhoun on Thursday afternoon.

Alivia Clemmons got the Warhawks on the board in the bottom of the second inning, thanks to an RBI-double to left field. Brower then responded with a two-run homer to left field in the top of the third to put the Rangers up 2-1.

The Northwest lead was short-lived however, as Calhoun got RBI base hits from Clemmons, Kailey Vaughn and Madelyn Stonecipher. Brooklyn Wallace then added insult to injury with a grand slam, lifting the Warhawks to a 8-2 lead.

Northwest staged a small rally in the fifth with Brower's grounder to second and an RBI-single up the middle from Helms, but it wasn't enough to threaten the Warhawks' lead.

Northwest finished with nine hits, led by three from Helms. Calhoun hammered out 12 hits, with Wallace leading the Warhawks with three.

Kaylei Peterson (0-1) was credited with the loss in her season debut, but only three of her eight runs allowed were earned. Koczka came on in relief for the final 3.1 innings and allowed no earned runs.

Krista Sikes earned the win for Calhoun and struck out two batters in four complete innings.


Northwest 6, East Mississippi 5

A three-run homer from East Mississippi's Allie Brown put the Rangers on the ropes in the top of the seventh inning, but Peterson kept her composure and delivered a game-clinching strikeout to preserve the Northwest victory.

Northwest came out swinging in the first with RBIs from Brower and Caylee Comer, along with an error that allowed Brower to score, as the Rangers jumped ahead 3-0.

Armstrong kept the momentum going into the second inning with an RBI-single to left, followed by a double to center from Koczka, to extend the lead to 5-0 in favor of Northwest.

Kamryn Moore got the Lions on the board in the fourth with a solo homer to left and East Mississippi inched further in the fifth with Brown's double to center.

Northwest made it 6-2 in the bottom of the fifth with a single from Kaitlyn Bednarek and Peterson finished off the final two innings in the circle.

East Mississippi outhit the Rangers 9-8, despite two hits apiece from Armstrong and Koczka. Maggie Meadows led EMCC at the plate with three hits, followed by two apiece from Brown and Lily Ramsey.

Koczka (1-0) got the win for Northwest after pitching the first five innings, allowing two earned runs on two strikeouts and a pair of walks.

Rylee Bourland went the distance for the Lions, but was handed the loss after allowing six runs on eight hits.