Box Score MERIDIAN - Behind 12 hits and three home runs, the bats came alive for Northwest in a must-win scenario on Friday afternoon, as the Rangers evened the series against Meridian with a 13-10 victory.

Northwest improved to 25-22 on the season, while the Eagles fell to 34-12 with the loss. With a 1-1 tie in the series, the two teams will face each other for a winner-take-all Game 3 in Meridian on Saturday at 2 P.M.

Northwest jumped ahead with a five-run first inning, highlighted by a three-run homer from Peeko Townsend. Meridian responded with a two-run homer of its own in the bottom half of the first inning, cutting the Rangers' advantage to 5-2.

Meridian jumped ahead in the bottom of the third with a four-run frame, highlighted by a three-run homer from Brock Butler and a solo shot from Braden Luke. However, the Rangers rallied back to tie the game in the top of the fifth with Townsend's RBI-groundout, bringing the score to 6-6.

Meridian threatened to regain the lead in the bottom half of the fifth, but the Eagles left a runner in scoring position after Colton Presley delivered a strikeout to end the threat, his sixth strikeout of the day. The Rangers then rallied back with another run in the top half of the sixth, taking a 7-6 advantage over the Eagles.

Presley once again kept the Eagles off the board to end the sixth, delivering two more strikeouts. The bats responded for Northwest in the top half of the seventh, as Caleb Hobson crushed a three-run home run to left for his second homer of the season, pushing the Rangers to a 10-6 lead.

After the Eagles scored two more in the home half of the seventh, Northwest countered with three more runs in the eighth, including a solo homer from Hobson that pushed the lead to 13-8.

Meridian tried to rally in the bottom of the ninth, but Connor Spencer shut the door on the Eagles' comeback after two runs, securing the victory for Northwest.

Northwest outhit the Eagles, 12-9, for the afternoon. Hobson went a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate to lead Northwest, finishing with two home runs and four RBIs, while Townsend further helped the Rangers with a 2-for-5 effort and four RBIs.

Presley earned the victory on the mound for Northwest, finishing with nine strikeouts in 6.2 innings. Spencer finished with the save, collecting two strikeouts in the ninth inning. 

Brock Butler went 3-for-4 with five RBIs to lead Meridian, as Lane Ladner was handed the loss in a relief appearance on the mound.