SENATOBIA - With Northwest celebrating Sophomore Day in its 2022 home finale, the 14th-ranked Rangers swept Mississippi Delta in run-rule fashion on Wednesday afternoon, 9-1 and 8-0.
Northwest won both games on walk-offs, as
Maddie Brower's two-run single ended Game 1 in the sixth inning, while
Meagan Allen's two-run homer helped the nightcap end in the fifth inning.
In the circle, the Rangers also came in clutch, as freshman
Gabby Dickerson (16-6) picked up 12 strikeouts through six innings. Allen also picked up the victory in the nightcap, striking out five batters and improving to 8-3 on the season.
With the sweep, Northwest improved to 27-9 on the season and 17-7 in the MACCC. Mississippi Delta dropped to 10-26 overall and 5-15 within the conference.
Next up for the Rangers is a pair of road doubleheaders to conclude the regular season slate. Northwest will first travel to No. 3 Copiah-Lincoln on Saturday, April 23 for a 1/3 P.M. twinbill, before wrapping up the year at Southwest Mississippi on Friday, April 29.
Game 1 - #14 Northwest 9, Mississippi Delta 1 (6 inn.)
A five-run bottom of the second inning ultimately made the difference for Northwest, as the Rangers took the opener from Mississippi Delta in six innings.
McKaylee Polk delivered a single to get the Rangers' first base hit of the game and
Saige Koczka followed with a double to score Polk, giving Northwest a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
A pair of one-out singles from
Kaitlyn Bednarek and
Meredith Owen helped kickstart the big second inning for Northwest. A walk to
Bailey Russell would load the bases for the Rangers, as
Laila Armstrong cleared the bases on a three-run triple, stretching the lead to 4-0.
Polk then stepped in and smashed a two-run bomb over the scoreboard in left field, pushing Northwest to the 6-0 advantage.
After a scoreless third inning, Northwest tacked on another run in the bottom half of the fourth, as Armstrong scored on a sac fly from Koczka. The Rangers would go down scoreless in the fifth, but the two-run single from Brower scored Polk and Koczka for the game-winning runs.
Dickerson's solid six innings of work kept Mississippi Delta off the scoreboard, aside from an RBI-double in the top of the fifth. The freshman from Olive Branch struck out 12 batters and allowed just two hits, moving her season strikeout total to 148, just one shy of tying Lacie McCulley-Cook for the single-season record of 149 (2005).
Northwest outhit the Trojans 12-2 in the contest, led by a 3-for-3 effort from Owen and two hits apiece from Bednarek, Koczka and Polk. Jordan Cobb and Macey Hill accounted for both of Mississippi Delta's hits.
Game 2 - Northwest 8, Mississippi Delta 0 (5 inn.)
Northwest scored its first three runs in the bottom of the first and added three more in the second, pulling away early from Mississippi Delta to earn the series sweep.
Armstrong kicked off the game with a leadoff double to left field, before advancing to third base on a wild pitch. Polk then scored Armstrong on a sac fly, followed by a two-run home run from
Molly Harris, giving the Rangers the 3-0 advantage.
Allen started off the second inning with a bang, knocking a leadoff triple to right center, later scoring on an RBI-grounder from Owen. Armstrong then reached base on a bunt single, before Polk tore another home run to left field, stretching the Northwest lead to 6-0.
Yazmin Jackson entered in relief for Mississippi Delta after Polk's homer and kept the Rangers off the board over the next two innings. The Trojans' reliever also got two outs in the bottom of the fifth, before issuing a walk to Bednarek. That paved the way for Allen's walk-off homer and the run-rule victory.
Northwest outhit the Trojans 10-1, led by Allen's 3-for-3 effort at the plate. Armstrong and
Caylee Comer also finished with two hits apiece, while Polk batted in three runs.
In the circle, Allen struck out five batters against four walks, but allowed no runs and just one hit.
