Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 POPLARVILLE - A heartbreaking walk-off winner for No. 2 Pearl River spoiled the sweep for Northwest, but the Rangers did earn a solid Game 1 victory in Saturday's conference opener.

Northwest hammered out eight hits in the Game 1 victory, led by a 3-for-4 effort from Wesley Lester that included a two-run home run in the fifth inning. Colton Presley also posted an impressive start on the mound and Connor Spencer earned his third save, after mowing down the Wildcats over the final two innings.

In Game 2, the Rangers led 9-5 before the Wildcats mounted a five-run comeback over the final two innings. Pearl River got the majority of its runs in the bottom half of the sixth, tying the game with a four-run frame.

With the split, Northwest improved to 11-7 overall and 1-1 in the MACCC, while Pearl River moved to 12-4 on the season and an identical 1-1 start to conference play.

Next up for the Rangers will be a road doubleheader at Itawamba, scheduled for Tuesday, March 15 at 3/6 P.M. in Fulton. Those games will be carried live on letsgoicctv.com.


Game 1 - Northwest 6, #2 Pearl River 4

Pearl River threatened to take the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning, but Spencer entered the game with two runners on and one out, striking out the next two Wildcat batters and earning two more strikeouts in the ninth to help Northwest hold on.

After taking a brief 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, the Wildcats surrendered a pair of runs in the top of the second. Lester sparked the Northwest bats with a leadoff single and later scored on a sac fly by Landon Rogers. Peeko Townsend would then deliver a double to score Cameron Lancaster, giving the Rangers a 2-1 advantage.

A single from Tate Parker would tie the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the third, but Lester's two-run homer in the top of the fifth gave Northwest the 4-2 lead. For Lester, the homer marked his third of the season, leading the team in that category.

Presley kept the Wildcats off the board for three innings, before exiting after the sixth inning. In the bottom of the seventh, things would get a little dicey for the Rangers as Pearl River drew a leadoff double and a walk, later tying the game at 4-4 on a groundout to the shortstop and a bases loaded hit-by-pitch.

Northwest quickly regained a 5-4 lead in the top of the eighth, as Lester drew a leadoff walk and scored on a triple from Rogers. Pearl River once again threatened in the eighth inning, until Spencer came in and shut down the bats.

Lester would help the Rangers add an insurance run in the top of the ninth on his RBI-single to left field, scoring Alan Kivett who reached on a hit-by-pitch. Spencer then took care of the Wildcats in the ninth to seal the upset for Northwest.

Northwest outhit Pearl River 8-6 in the contest, led by Lester's three hits. Presley received the no-decision, but tossed five strikeouts in six complete innings. John Luke Marlin earned the victory in relief, tossing one strikeout against two walks with 1.0 innings pitched.

For Spencer, the relief outing marked his third save of the season, as he finished with a final line of 1.2 innings pitched and four strikeouts against a walk.

Parker led Pearl River with a 2-for-5 effort at the plate, while Cole Tolbert was handed the loss in relief.


Game 2 - #2 Pearl River 10, Northwest 9

A four-run bottom of the sixth inning allowed Pearl River to chip away at the 9-5 deficit and a walk-off single from Gabe Broadus allowed the Wildcats to take Game 2, spoiling the sweep for Northwest.

Both teams scored a run each in the first inning and Northwest took a 4-1 advantage in the top of the third, thanks to Lester's solo home run and a pair of RBIs from Dawson Griffin and Tyler Byrd. However, the Wildcats responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the third, tying the game once again at 4-4.

Northwest would once again add three runs in the top half of the fourth to take a 7-4 lead, only for the Wildcats to scrape across one in the bottom half of the inning to cut the deficit to two runs, 7-5. The Rangers tacked on two more runs in the fifth to stretch the lead to 9-5.

Unfortunately, the offense ran out for the Rangers in the next two innings, as Pearl River held Northwest scoreless. Meanwhile, the Wildcats began to mount their comeback in the sixth, scoring off an error, a single from Parker, a bases loaded walk and a sac fly from Preston Soper. 

After being shutout in the top half of the seventh, the Rangers issued two quick outs in the home half of the inning, only to surrender a Taylor Woodcock double and the walk-off single from Broadus, as the Wildcats salvaged the split.