SENATOBIA - For the seventh time in its last eight games, Northwest hammered out 10 or more hits as the Rangers delivered a pair of run-rule wins against Holmes on Tuesday afternoon, 12-0 and 18-13.

For the Rangers, the sweep marked only the second one in conference play and the first sweep at home against an MACCC opponent. Northwest improved to 19-17 overall and 9-11 in conference play with the victories, while Holmes dropped to 9-19 on the season and 6-10 in the conference.

Northwest still remains on the outside looking in of the MACCC playoff picture, but the Rangers have inched closer and now sit at 10th overall, just outside of a three-way tie for seventh between Jones College, Northeast and Mississippi Gulf Coast, all at 9-9 in the conference.

Next up for the Rangers is a Friday road tilt at East Central, scheduled for 2/5 P.M. on April 15. The Warriors are 24-12 on the year and 10-10 in the MACCC after recently tumbling out of the NJCAA national rankings.

Both games in Decatur can be seen on eccclive.com/gold-channel/.


Game 1 - Northwest 12, Holmes 0 (5 inn.)

A solo home run in the second inning from Wesley Lester set the tone for what would become a heavy-hitting day for Northwest, as the Rangers routed Holmes in the opener.

Scoreless after one complete, Lester's shot to left field made it a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning, setting off a seven-run frame for the Rangers. A two-run single up the middle from Tyler Byrd pushed the score to 3-0 and another two-run single from Landon Rogers stretched things to a 5-0 advantage.

A pair of RBI-singles from Ryan Lee and Cameron Lancaster closed out the strong second inning, but Northwest picked up right where it left off in the third, adding three more on a three-run double from Rogers, widening the gap to 10-0.

With Zach Willingham holding the Bulldogs scoreless through four innings of work, Northwest put the game away with a pair of runs in the fourth from Byrd and Hunter Cramer, giving the Rangers the run-rule triumph.

Northwest set a new season-high of 15 hits in the win, led by Byrd's 3-for-3 effort and two hits apiece from Cramer, Lee, Lester and Rogers. 

Willingham improved to 5-3 on the season with his six-strikeout effort, while Jaylon Buckley tossed the final inning in relief, delivering a strikeout.

For Holmes, the Bulldogs were limited to four hits in the loss, two from leadoff batter Abbott Hankins. Eric Gibbs (1-2) was handed the loss after allowing five earned runs (seven total) through the first two innings.


Game 2 - Northwest 18, Holmes 3 (5 inn.)

Both teams combined for six home runs in the nightcap, but it was Northwest that benefited the most, as the Rangers used a long, 11-run frame in the second inning to seal another run-rule win.

Much like Game 1, pitching quickly unraveled for Holmes in the first inning, as a hit-by-pitch and a walk with the bases loaded allowed the first two runs to score for the Rangers. A balk and a groundout to first base brought in two more, making it an early 4-0 lead for the Rangers.

Home runs were the story for Northwest in the second inning, as Lee and Rogers delivered a pair of grand slams, while Lester's two-run shot was his second of the day. Peeko Townsend's solo homer capped things off for the Rangers, as Northwest took an insurmountable 15-0 lead into the third inning.

Holmes would finally get the benefit of a pair of homers in the top of the third, as a two-run shot from Cole Drake and a solo homer from Carson Buckner put the Bulldogs on the board, trailing 15-3.

However, the momentum was short-lived for Holmes, as the Bulldogs surrendered three more runs in the bottom of the third, thanks to a two-run single from Lee and an RBI-single from Caleb Hobson, bringing the score to its final total.

Northwest clobbered out 11 hits in the victory, with Lee leading the way at 3-for-3 with six RBIs. Hobson and Rogers finished with two apiece and a combined five RBIs.

On the mound, Brayden Sanders was rock solid, improving to 2-3 after tossing six strikeouts against one walk in three complete frames. Connor Spencer and Jake Savage closed out the final two innings, with Spencer retiring all three of his batters on strikeouts.

Jake McKay dropped to 1-2 on the mound for Holmes, after surrendering the first four Northwest runs. His reliever, Justin Jenkins, allowed six more and didn't record an out, while Will Cook and Jackson Dollar issued a combined eight runs with two strikeouts.

Buckner and Drake's home runs accounted for two of the Bulldogs' three hits, with Kenneth Moore getting the other one. Read Full Article