SENATOBIA - In what has been the norm for most of the season, Northwest softball once again put on a hitting clinic in Wednesday's 6-5 and 9-0 sweep of Holmes.

Behind three home runs in the opener and four more in the finale, including a walk-off winner from Saige Koczka, the Rangers improved their season total to 33 home runs, already an all-time program record and good for sixth in the nation. 

Northwest also came up clutch in the circle, as Koczka got the win in Game 2 after Kaylei Peterson's grinding effort in the opener.

With the sweep, Northwest improved to 12-8 on the season and 9-7 in the MACCC. Holmes fell to 13-9 overall and 6-8 in the conference.

Next up for the Rangers will be a road tilt at Hinds on Saturday, March 27 at 2/4 P.M. Both games will be carried on hindsccsports.net. 


Game 1 - Northwest 6, Holmes 5

Facing a pair of runners in scoring position with two outs, Peterson (6-4) caught Holmes' Destiny Dill looking for the final strikeout as Northwest held on for the win in the opener.

Holmes outhit the Rangers at the plate 13-11 and wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, as Julianna Ingram's single gave the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead.

Trailing 2-0 in the second inning, Northwest struck back on an RBI-double from recent Delta State signee MyCala Helms. Caylee Comer helped the Rangers tie the game in the third, as the freshman infielder delivered a single to left to score Koczka from second.

Holmes briefly gained the lead back with an RBI-single from Camm Neathery in the fourth, but the Rangers responded in the bottom of the frame with a solo homer from Kaitlyn Bednarek, tying the contest again at 3-3.

Northwest broke things open in the fifth, as Koczka dodged a wild pitch, only to blast a two-run homer to center two plays later for a 5-3 lead.

Neathery once again made it a tie game with a two-run double in the sixth, only for Meredith Owen to deliver a solo shot over the wall in right for a 6-5 lead.

After Holmes opened the top of the seventh with a leadoff single, the Bulldogs found themselves in position to tie the game with one out. However, a popup to Maddie Brower counted for the second out and Peterson's tough strikeout of Dill denied the comeback for Holmes.

Eight of the nine players in the batting order earned a hit for Northwest, including a 3-for-3 outing from Koczka and a 2-for-3 effort from Owen.

Neathery and Haley Lunderman-Ellingburg led Holmes with three hits apiece.


Game 2 - Northwest 9, Holmes 0 (5 inn.)

Koczka, Helms and Molly Harris accounted for nine of the Rangers' 13 hits, as Northwest rolled to a shutout victory and earned the series sweep.

Koczka and Helms delivered a pair of RBI-singles in the first to give Northwest the early 2-0 advantage. From there, every run scored on homers, starting with a solo shot from Helms and a two-run bomb from Koczka in the fourth.

Leading 5-0 entering the fifth, Northwest delivered the dagger with a solo homer from Owen and a two-run walk-off winner from Koczka, bringing her season home run total to 10.

Koczka (3-3) also came up big in the circle, holding the hot Holmes' bats to just one hit and three walks. 

Aside from the three-hit efforts from Harris, Helms and Koczka, Northwest also managed one hit apiece from Brower, Owen, Laila Armstrong and Oakley Laughter.

Malita Chaffier provided the lone hit for Holmes, while allowing seven earned runs in the circle.