SENATOBIA - Sophomore pitcher Zach Willingham posted his second consecutive nine-strikeout shutout in Game 1 and Northwest battled to an extra-inning victory in the nightcap, as the Rangers earned a pair of 6-0 and 9-8 victories against Mississippi Delta and Coahoma on Wednesday.

Caleb Hobson led the Rangers' efforts at the plate, combining for a 5-for-8 day with a pair of doubles. Ryan Lee also went 2-for-3 in the Game 1 victory against the Trojans and delivered the game-winning run against Coahoma in the form of a bases loaded hit-by-pitch.

With the victories, Northwest collected its sixth straight victory and the eighth win in its last nine games. The Rangers sport a 10-6 overall record, while Mississippi Delta fell to 5-6 on the season and Coahoma dropped to 2-4.

All three teams will begin conference play on Saturday, with Northwest traveling to No. 2 Pearl River for a 2/5 P.M. doubleheader. Both games will be carried on prccmedia.com.


Game 1 - Northwest 6, Mississippi Delta 0

For the second straight outing, Willingham came out on fire for the Rangers, tying his career high of nine strikeouts and posting his second straight shutout in a 6-0 triumph against Mississippi Delta.

Northwest swung the sticks out of the gate, as back-to-back doubles from Hobson and Alan Kivett put the Rangers ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the first.

Neither team scored again for the next two innings, despite Mississippi Delta leaving runners on base in each of the first three innings. In the bottom of the fourth, the Rangers broke the game open with Lee's two-run single up the middle and Cameron Lancaster's sac fly to center, pushing the lead to 4-0.

Willingham exited the game after five complete innings, paving the way for a scoreless sixth inning from Jake Savage. The Rangers would then build some insurance runs with a two-run homer to left center from Lee, giving Northwest the comfortable 6-0 advantage.

In the top of the seventh, Jaylon Buckley came on in relief and struck out two batters after surrendering a single, helping the Rangers hang a zero on the scoreboard.

Northwest collected eight hits in the victory, led by three from Hobson and two apiece from Kivett and Lee. The Trojans were paced by five hits scattered across the lineup.

Haden Luke was handed the loss for Mississippi Delta and left the game after four complete frames, striking out three batters against four walks and surrendering four earned runs. Colten Neihaus and Baylor Leonard also pitched in relief, with Leonard striking out three batters in one inning of work.


Game 2 - Northwest 9, Coahoma 8 (9 inn.)

Northwest surrendered a 7-2 lead entering the sixth inning and scored the tying run in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings against Coahoma, where a bases loaded hit-by-pitch drove in the winning run for the Rangers.

Coahoma started the wackiness in the sixth, scoring two runs and adding four more in the top of the seventh, taking the 8-7 lead against Northwest. The Rangers would then tie the game on an RBI-single to right from Buckley, who came in to pinch hit for Dawson Griffin.

Before the back-and-forth battle, Northwest took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on an RBI-grounder from Kivett. Coahoma would then score on a Bryland Skinner sac fly in the second and another sac fly from Anthony Newson in the third, taking a 2-1 lead against the Rangers.

A five-run third inning helped the Rangers pull away a little, with Lancaster knocking in two runs on a single to right and later scoring on a wild pitch. Now up 5-2, Northwest got a little more help, as Landon Rogers scored from third on a balk, making it a 6-2 advantage.

Hunter Cramer would tack on another run for Northwest in the fourth, smashing an RBI-single to right field that scored Hobson, pushing the score to 7-2.

A pair of RBI-singles from Newson and Zales Lewis started the trouble for the Rangers in the sixth, as Coahoma cut the deficit to 7-4. Anyelo Sanchez would then lead off the seventh with a walk and the Tigers soon loaded the bases on an Ethan McNatt double and a hit-by-pitch to Newson.

With the bases loaded, Coahoma began to do its damage, scoring two runs on a Ryan Sessums single and a throwing error from third. Eli Rice tied the game for the Tigers with his fielder's choice to first base and Sessums scored from third on the wild pitch for the leading run.

Down to his last strike and two outs on the board, Buckley came through for the Rangers, tying the game on the single to right. He would then steal second base, but Hobson's popup to short ended the threat and sent the game to extras.

With neither team able to score for the next inning and a half, Northwest finally struck when it mattered most, as Landon Rogers would reach base on a walk. A failed pickoff attempt would then result in Rogers advancing all the way to third, with Coahoma choosing to load the bases on a pair of intentional walks with one out. 

The gamble did not pay off for the Tigers though, as Lee was plunked by a pitch, scoring Rogers from third in walk-off fashion.

Coahoma outhit the Rangers 7-6 on the evening, with Lewis and McNatt combining for five of the Tigers' seven hits. Hobson was the only Ranger with multiple hits, finishing with two on the evening.

Each team used six pitchers apiece, with Logan Eldridge earning the win for Northwest in his two innings of relief. The Arlington, Tenn. native struck out four of the six batters he faced, improving his record to 1-0 on the season.

Chase Yearwood was handed the loss for Coahoma, despite striking out two batters in his two innings of work.  Read Full Article