SENATOBIA - Behind some heavy hitting in the opener, Northwest took a 15-5 run-rule victory from No. 11 Itawamba before falling to the Indians in the nightcap in Tuesday's regular season home finale at Jim Miles Field.

Sophomore Garrett Riggs mashed his second grand slam in three games to highlight the excitement of Game 1, while Kelton Hall, Caleb Hobson and Peyton Mills also hit one homer each. Wesley Lester also launched a homer in the second game, along with a double from Hobson.

Freshman John Luke Marlin also tossed six strikeouts in 5.1 innings of the Game 1 victory, improving his record on the mound to 2-2. Colton Peel started Game 2 for the Rangers, but Jake Savage was handed the loss in relief, dropping his record to 5-3 on the season.

With the split, Northwest improved to 8-4 this season against nationally-ranked opponents and saw its overall record jump to 23-15 and 15-11 in conference play. The Rangers will conclude the regular season at Southwest Mississippi on Saturday, April 24.


Game 1 - Northwest 15, #11 Itawamba 5 (6 inn.)

Highlighted by Hobson's two-run homer and Riggs' grand slam, Northwest scored six runs in the bottom of the first to set the tone for a convincing 15-5 victory against the Indians.

Northwest further extended its lead in the second inning as Hall teed off on a solo homer, his 11th home run of the season. Peyton Puckett kept the party going in the third, as the Louisiana commit's two-run single pushed the lead to a 9-0 margin.

Trailing 10-0 entering the fifth, Itawamba did manage to cut the deficit in half with a five-run frame. The Indians' rally would go no further however, as the Rangers added a run back in the bottom half of the fifth, before a four-run sixth inning lifted Northwest to the run-rule victory.

Northwest finished with 14 hits, marking the 15th game this season where the Rangers earned 10 or more hits. Hobson and Puckett led the way at the plate, as both players earned three hits each with a combined seven RBIs. Riggs and Landon Rogers also finished with two hits apiece.

Itawamba was paced by two hits each from Riley Davis and Tyler Murphy. Kylan Carter also provided a boost for the Indians with his fifth-inning home run.

Will Logsdon pitched the final two outs in relief of Marlin and delivered a strikeout. Brady Davis picked up the loss for ICC, surrendering seven earned runs against a pair of walks and two strikeouts.


Game 2 - #11 Itawamba 13, Northwest 7

Itawamba scored 11 of its 13 runs over the final two innings, as Northwest dropped the finale to the Indians on Tuesday evening. 
 
Tied at 1-1, the game was halted due to a rare power outage in the top of the third inning. When play resumed, the Indians added a run in the top of the fourth for a 2-1 lead.

Northwest struck back in a big way in the bottom of the fifth, as the Rangers picked up four runs and regained a 5-2 lead on the Indians. However, ICC responded with a massive six-run frame in the top of the sixth to take back an 8-5 advantage.

Despite cutting the lead down to 8-7 with the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth, Northwest was unable to take back control and the a five-run output from the Indians in the top of the seventh all but sealed the deal.

Even in the loss, Northwest outhit the Indians 9-8, sparked by a 3-for-4 effort from Hobson. Hall and Riggs also finished with two hits apiece.

Itawamba was led by Bailey Albritton's 3-for-4 plate performance, which included a pair of doubles and three RBIs. 

Peel struck out five batters through the first four innings and allowed two earned runs. Savage was handed the loss with six runs allowed through a full inning of work, but only three were earned. 

Judah Buckner, Cameron Lancaster and Joel Wilkinson also saw action out of the bullpen, with Buckner tossing a pair of strikeouts in a full inning of work. 

Collin Babin earned the win for Itawamba and struck out two batters in 5.2 innings, despite surrendering seven earned runs. Carter picked up the save for the Indians by striking out a pair of Northwest batters in 1.1 innings of relief.