SENATOBIA - After dropping the opener, 2-1, in heartbreaking fashion, the 11th-ranked Northwest softball program rebounded for a 6-1 victory in the nightcap to salvage the split against Hinds on Saturday afternoon.

Maddie Brower went 2-for-2 in Game 1 to lead Northwest at the plate, while four Rangers finished with two hits apiece in Game 2. Despite earning 11 strikeouts, Gabby Dickerson (13-5) was handed the loss in the opener, but Meagan Allen went the distance in the second game, moving to 6-3 on the season.

With the split, Northwest was dealt its first loss of the season against an unranked opponent, moving to 22-8 overall and 12-6 in the conference. Hinds improved to 15-18 on the season and 8-10 against MACCC opponents.

Next up for the Rangers is a midweek road doubleheader at Holmes, set for Tuesday, April 12 in Goodman. Game times are scheduled for 2/4 P.M. with both games carried on holmesccmedia.com.


Game 1 - Hinds 2, #11 Northwest 1 

A controversial call in the fourth inning resulted in an RBI-triple and the first run for Hinds, as Northwest dropped the opener by a 2-1 final.

The controversy stemmed from a foul ball hit down the line to left field that was ruled fair by the home plate umpire. Despite objections from the Northwest coaching staff, the call stood and plated the first run of the game, giving the Eagles a 1-0 lead.

Although the call was a critical one, the typically hot Northwest bats were held in check for a majority of the contest, thanks to the efforts of Hinds' starter Kendall Calloway. Calloway held the Rangers to just four base hits and struck out two batters against one walk, tossing a complete game to improve to 7-8 on the season.

Northwest left runners stranded in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings, but Dickerson's efforts helped keep the game within reach for the Rangers. With nothing going at the plate for Northwest, Hinds further stretched the lead to 2-0 in the top of the sixth with Melina Seiferd's RBI-single.

Maddie Brower's leadoff double in the bottom of the seventh helped give the Rangers a glimpse of a comeback, but a hard-hit ball to deep center field from Kaitlyn Bednarek was corraled at the fence by the Hinds outfielder, denying a game-tying home run. A throwing error on the same play helped Brower score from third base, but that was as close as the Rangers would come.

Three critical walks haunted Dickerson and Northwest, but it was an otherwise strong outing from the freshman sensation. Her 11 strikeouts are the second most this season for the Olive Branch native, as she now has 123 strikeouts on the season, good for second all-time in a single-season.

Hinds was also held to just four base hits in the contest, most notably the RBI-triple from Kaitlyn Papizan. Ashley Lightcap also came up with double for the Eagles in the top of the third.


Game 2 - #11 Northwest 6, Hinds 1

Northwest got its revenge against the Eagles in Game 2, as the Rangers smashed out 10 hits in a 6-1 victory.

Scoreless after two complete, Molly Harris finally got Northwest on the board with an RBI-single past the shortstop in the bottom half of the third inning, giving the Rangers the 1-0 advantage.

Although Hinds would later tie the game with a solo home run from Emilea Roberts in the top of the fourth, the Rangers responded with a two-run homer from Saige Koczka in the fifth and another run scored off an error, making it a 4-1 advantage for Northwest.

As Allen kept the Eagles off the board, Northwest put the game away for good in the bottom of the sixth, thanks to a two-run homer from McKaylee Polk. 

Bednarek, Koczka, Polk and Laila Armstrong collected two hits each, with Polk finishing 2-for-4 with a double, home run and two RBIs, while Koczka went 2-for-2 with a double, a home run and two RBIs.

Allen also added a double of her own at the plate, while tossing seven strikeouts in a complete game effort. The win marked her fourth consecutive victory, with the streak dating back to March 26 at Meridian. Read Full Article