SENATOBIA - If the first four games of the season are any indication, Northwest heavy hitter Saige Koczka may be well on her way to shattering her own current records.

Already the program's all-time leader in home runs and several more offensive categories, the Southaven native and Memphis commit went a whopping 5-for-5 with 12 RBIs in the Rangers' 10-1 and 6-2 sweep against Spoon River College on Friday.

Through her first four games, Koczka is batting .800 with four homers and 17 RBIs, as Northwest stands at 4-0 on the young season. Spoon River dropped to 2-2 with the losses.

Northwest will turn its attention to the annual Northeast TigerFest next week, highlighted by two games against 11th-ranked Three Rivers College. The action begins on Tuesday, February 15 and runs through Wednesday, Feb. 16.


Game 1 - Northwest 10, Spoon River College 1 (5 inn.)

Northwest wasted little time getting on the scoreboard in the opening game against Spoon River, as the Rangers scored three runs in the bottom of the first and four more in the second to pull away early with the 10-1 run-rule.

Sophomore pitcher Meagan Allen sent the Snappers down in order to open the contest and the Rangers' bats took over from there. A sac fly RBI from Maddie Brower allowed Laila Armstrong to score from third and Molly Harris' RBI-single to center brought in Koczka to give Northwest the quick 2-0 lead.

Northwest added an additional run in the first, thanks to a wild pitch that allowed Harris to score, pushing the Snappers into an early 3-0 hole.

A bases loaded walk brought in Spoon River's only run in the top of the second, but the score did little to dampen the Rangers' momentum, as Koczka delivered a grand slam in the bottom half of the inning, stretching the lead to 7-1 in favor of Northwest.

Although the third inning passed with no runs, Koczka raked in two more on a two-run double in the fourth to make it a 9-1 lead. Brower followed up with an RBI-double to left, giving Northwest its final run.

Northwest finished with six hits, two from Koczka and one apiece from Brower, Harris, Meredith Owen and Bailey Russell. Equally impressive was Allen's performance in the circle, as the sophomore struck out a career-high nine batters in 4.2 innings of work, while holding Spoon River to just two hits.

Miranda Fogal was handed the loss for the Snappers after allowing six of the Rangers' 10 runs.


Game 2 - Northwest 6, Spoon River College 2

A 10-hit effort - led by three from Koczka - and a solid five innings from freshman pitcher Gabby Dickerson helped Northwest earn a victory in the nightcap against Spoon River College.

Kockza opened the scoring with an RBI-double in the bottom of the first and plated three more in the second on another home run, her second of the day. 

Leading 4-0, Northwest allowed an RBI-single from De'Asisa Davenport in the top of the third, which helped get the Snappers on the board. After going scoreless in the third, the Rangers struck back a two-run homer from Koczka in the fourth, pushing the lead to 6-1.

Addy Williams provided Spoon River with its only homer in the sixth inning, but the solo shot was too little, too late as freshman Randi Johnson shut the door on any hope of a Snappers' rally.

Kockza's three hits and six RBIs stood out in the Rangers' offensive totals, but Armstrong and Caylee Comer also finished with two hits apiece. Russell, Kaitlyn Bednarek and McKaylee Polk also finished with one apiece.

Dickerson (2-0) went five complete innings in the circle, striking out four batters against two walks. Johnson also earned a strikeout in her two-inning relief effort.

Spoon River finished with six hits in the finale, with half coming from Williams. Leann VandVoorde struck out two but allowed all six Northwest runs. Read Full Article