OXFORD, Ala. - Another strong outing in the circle from
Gabby Dickerson and heavy hitting at the plate combined to lift fifth-seed Northwest to an 11-0 victory against Kansas City (Kan.) in a Saturday morning elimination contest.
For the Rangers, the win marked the second straight shutout victory and the second run-rule win of the tournament. Northwest improved its overall record to 38-14, while ending Kansas City's season at 45-16.
After both teams went scoreless in the first inning, Northwest opened up a five-run frame in the bottom of the second, sparked by a leadoff single from
Molly Harris. After a hit-by-pitch and a walk loaded the bases, the Rangers would plate their first run on a throwing error to first base, followed by an RBI-single to left field from
Meredith Owen.
Leading 2-0, the Rangers continued to pile it on with no outs, as
Anna Nickens' sacrifice fly scored
Maddie Brower from third.
Laila Armstrong kept the momentum going with an RBI-single and
Saige Koczka followed with a grounder to the shortstop, pushing Northwest to a 5-0 lead.
Both teams were held scoreless again in the third, but the silence didn't last long for Northwest. The Rangers would tack on six more runs in the bottom of the fourth, kick-started by a leadoff single from Armstrong. Koczka's RBI-double stretched the lead to 6-0, before Harris' RBI-single made it a 7-0 advantage.
Comer's three-run home run into left field effectively put the game away for Northwest and the Rangers earned one more score on a bases-loaded walk, taking an 11-0 lead into the fifth. Kansas City would have a runner reach base on an error, but that's all the Rangers would allow.
Northwest finished with 12 hits in the victory, led by Armstrong's 3-for-3 effort at the plate. The sophomore outfielder batted in two runs, while Comer's homer helped her finish 2-for-3 with three RBIs.Â
Dickerson improved to 26-8 in the circle and logged her 18th complete game, finishing with eight strikeouts against two walks. With her win, the Olive Branch native became the program's single-season leader in wins, surpassing Sarah Gill's 25-7 record in 2009.
Bradi Basler was handed the loss for Kansas City, allowing 10 earned runs in four innings of work. The Blue Devils' ace finished her season with a 26-9 record.
Northwest will continue its battle through the elimination bracket later today at 2 P.M. against No. 6 LSU Eunice. The Lady Bengals (36-21) enter the matchup after dropping a tight 4-3 decision to No. 2 Phoenix College late Friday evening and have faced Northwest twice this season, both times in the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament earlier this month.
Fans can watch the matchup between the Rangers and Lady Bengals on the
NJCAA Network. The game and all other remaining contests involving Northwest are available to view through a $10 single-game pass or a $25 tournament pass.
