RAYMOND - Hinds used an explosive, 11-hit effort in Game 1 and an 11-run frame in the bottom of the second inning of the nightcap, as Northwest dropped a pair of 12-2 and 14-7 finals on Saturday.
Northwest fell to 17-17 overall and 7-11 in conference play with the losses, as Hinds improved to 20-12 on the season and 13-5 in the MACCC. The Eagles' sweep helped Hinds move to second place in the MACCC standings, while the Rangers dropped to 12th in the conference.
Next up for the Rangers is a return back to Jim Miles Field for a doubleheader against Holmes, scheduled for 3/6 P.M. on Tuesday, April 12. The games will be the first ones played at home since March 29 and both contests can be seen on Ranger TV (nwccrangers.com/watch) or Facebook Live.
Game 1 - Hinds 12, Northwest 2 (5 inn.)
A 2-2 deadlock was broken in the fourth inning, as Hinds tacked on four runs in the fourth inning and six more in the fifth to take a 12-2 run-rule victory against Northwest.
Cameron Lancaster got the Rangers on the board first with a two-run homer in the opening inning, scoring
Caleb Hobson for a 2-0 Northwest lead. Hinds quickly answered back in the bottom half of the first, as Josh Rodriguez blasted a Hinds' homer to right, tying the game at 2-2.
Both teams remained tied until the bottom of the fourth, when a leadoff single for the Eagles helped pave the way for an RBI-double from Gentry Tigrett. The new 3-2 lead wasn't enough for Hinds however, as an infield error and a two-run double from Gavin Mink made it a 6-2 advantage for the home team.
After Hinds starter Holland Townes kept the Rangers scoreless through the top of the fifth, the Eagles blew the game open for good in the home half of the inning, sparked by four straight walks to leadoff the frame. A two-run double was then followed by a wild pitch, burying Northwest into a 10-2 deficit.
Another series of walks helped score the 11th Hinds run and a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch brought in the final run, giving the Eagles the walk-off win in just five innings.
Aside from two hits given up in the first inning, Townes (7-2) held Northwest scoreless and hitless over the next four frames, while earning four strikeouts. On the flip side,
Colton Presley was handed the loss for the Rangers after allowing six Hinds runs (three earned) on 10 hits, with three walks surrendered.
Four players finished the game with two hits each, accounting for 10 of the Eagles' 11 hits.
Game 2 - Hinds 14, Northwest 7
A disastrous bottom of the second inning erased a 3-2 Northwest lead, as Hinds scored 11 total runs to pull away for the 14-7 victory.
Ryan Lee's two-run homer in the top of the first helped give the Rangers a quick 2-0 advantage, only for the Eagles to once again respond with a two-run shot in the bottom half of the inning, tying the game at 2-2.
Landon Rogers' solo homer in the top of the second gave Northwest the lead for the final time, as a pair of errors made it a 4-3 Hinds lead and kick-started the long second inning from the Eagles.
Hinds would get nine more runs in the bottom of the second on three singles, a double, a triple and a two-run home run, pushing the Rangers into a 13-3 deficit.
Northwest countered with a pair of runs in the top half of the third inning, as a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch and a sac fly brought the score to 13-5. A two-run home run from
Peeko Townsend helped Northwest claw back within 13-7, but that was as close to a rally as the Rangers would get.
Hinds delivered one last parting shot in the bottom of the fifth, scoring on a fielder's choice before both teams remained scoreless over the next inning and a half.
Northwest outhit the Eagles 10-8 despite the loss, with Lee finishing 3-for-4 with two RBIs, followed by a 2-for-3 effort from Rogers that yielded two RBIs.
On the mound,
Brooks Rice fell to 1-2 on the season with two earned runs surrendered (nine total) on four hits, with four walks issued against two strikeouts. Northwest used four relief pitchers in the loss, with
Zach Beasley striking out two batters and allowing no runs over two full innings of work.
Connor Nation (3-1) picked up the win for Hinds, tossing five innings for the Eagles and allowing seven runs with three strikeouts.
Hinds scattered eight hits throughout its lineup, with Robi Riggin going 2-for-3 to lead the Eagles.
