ELLISVILLE - Northwest smashed 11 hits to take a 12-8 win in the opener, but Jones College responded with 13 of its own to take a 13-10 decision in the nightcap on Saturday.
Both clubs combined for 47 hits on the day, splitting 11 apiece in Game 1 with Jones College edging the Rangers, 13-12, in the finale.
Ryan Lee remained hot at the plate, homering once in both games and finishing a combined 3-for-7.
Wesley Lester also went 5-for-9 in the doubleheader, collecting three RBIs, as
Colton Presley secured the Game 1 victory on the mound.
Northwest moved to 15-15 on the season and 5-9 in conference play, while the Bobcats moved to 19-11 overall and 6-8 against MACCC competition. The Rangers will travel to Coahoma on Wednesday, April 6 for a 1/4 P.M. doubleheader.
Game 1 - Northwest 12, Jones College 8
Northwest got the bats going early and often in the opener, scoring two runs in the first inning en route to a 12-8 victory against Jones College.
Lee tripled to center to get things going for the Rangers, scoring
Caleb Hobson. Lester then made it a 2-0 lead on his RBI-single to left field.
Although Jones College would pick up a run in the bottom of the first by way of a sac fly, the Rangers created some space with Lee's two-run homer in the third inning, pushing Northwest to a 4-1 advantage.
Jones College cut the lead in half with a groundout in the bottom of the third, only for Northwest to counter once again with three runs in the top of the fourth.
Cameron Lancaster drove in two of the three runs with his two-run double to right field.
Trailing 7-2, the Bobcats got a little help in the home half of the fourth inning as Luke Lycette's two-run double brought Jones College back within 7-4. However, Northwest responded with two more runs in the top of the fifth, thanks in part to an RBI-double from Hobson.
After keeping the Bobcats off the board in the bottom of the fifth, the Rangers continued to swing the sticks, as
Landon Rogers' two-run single and a sac fly from
Peeko Townsend made it a 12-4 lead for Northwest through six innings.
Deejay Booth gave Jones College a bit of a spark with a three-run homer, but the Bobcats would be held scoreless over the next two frames. Tyler Ducksworth provided the Bobcats with a solo homer in the ninth, but
Connor Spencer came on to slam the door and pick up his fifth save of the season.
Hobson, Lee and Lester led Northwest with two hits apiece, while Presley struck out four batters through five innings of work to earn the victory and boost his record to 4-0.
Additionally,
Zach Beasley and
Jaylon Buckley combined for 3.1 innings of relief, collecting three strikeouts apiece.
Kade Keeton (3-1) struck out six batters for Jones College, but was handed the loss after allowing six earned runs. Four Bobcats finished with two hits apiece across the lineup.
Game 2 - Jones College 13, Northwest 10
Northwest staged a three-run rally in the top of the seventh, but the Rangers were unable to complete the comeback and were denied the sweep with a 13-10 loss.
Jones College got things going in the bottom of the first and turned a 2-0 lead into a 7-2 advantage, thanks to a five-run frame in the bottom half of the second inning.
Hobson helped the Rangers get on the board with a two-run triple in the top of the second, but the Bobcats pulled away with the big bottom half of the inning. Hobson would again provide Northwest a spark with a two-run homer in the fourth, only for Jones College to gain three runs in the home half of the inning, stretching the lead to 10-4.
Back-to-back home runs from Lee and Lester closed the gap to 10-7 in the top of the fifth, but a bases-loaded walk and a hit-by-pitch gave Jones College two more runs in the bottom half of the inning, pushing the deficit to 12-7.
Jones College would get its final run on a stolen base and an error in the sixth, before Northwest began to launch the seventh-inning comeback.
Brady Logan got it started for the Rangers with an RBI-single through the left side and a single from
Hunter Cramer brought Northwest back within 13-9.
Tyler Byrd's sac fly helped score Logan and bring Northwest back within three runs, but with two outs and the bases loaded, the Rangers' rally came to an end on a strikeout, denying the comeback for Northwest.
Northwest used six pitchers in the contest, with starter
Brooks Rice (0-1) taking the loss after giving up six runs through 1.1 innings of work. Peyton Bell went four innings for Jones College, striking out five batters and improving to 2-1.
Lester went 3-for-4 at the plate to lead the Rangers' 12-hit effort. Hobson and Lancaster also finished with two hits apiece.
Josh Cary led the Bobcats with a 3-for-4 effort, followed by two hits each from Lycette, Colson Harris and Murray Hutchinson.
