JACKSON, Tenn. - Much like the last meeting between Northwest and Jackson State (Tenn.), the eighth-ranked Rangers used a pair of solid pitching efforts from
Gabby Dickerson and
Allyson Harrison to earn 6-5 and 9-1 victories against the Green Jays on Wednesday.
Northwest stormed off to big leads in both games, but had to hold off Jackson State in the opener. The second game wasn't as close, ending in a five-inning run-rule.
Combined, the Rangers finished with 16 hits on the day, sparked by a home run from
McKaylee Polk and an inside-the-park home run from
Neely Cooper.
Now 4-0 on the season, Northwest will resume competition on Friday at the Northeast TigerFest against Motlow State and Spoon River College. Thursday's scheduled games in the TigerFest against Three Rivers College and East Mississippi have been canceled due to inclement weather.
Game 1 - Northwest 6, Jackson State (Tenn.) 5
Though Jackson State certainly kept the Rangers on their toes in the opener, pitcher
Allyson Harrison came back in to shut the door on the Green Jays in the seventh inning, preserving the win for Northwest.
Harrison struck out five batters and allowed just one hit in four complete frames. At the plate, she also finished 1-for-4 with an RBI.
A bases loaded walk to
Kaylee Owens got the Rangers going in the top of the first, and an RBI-single from Harrison made it a quick 2-0 lead.
Anna Nickens followed with a two-run double to left field, stretching the Northwest lead to 4-0.
With one out in the top of the second,
McKaylee Polk smacked a solo home run to move the Rangers' advantage to 5-0. Later in the inning, an infield error allowed
Neely Cooper to score from third, giving Northwest the 6-0 lead.
After Jackson State kept Northwest off the board over the next two innings, the Green Jays began to mount a comeback in the bottom of the fourth. Zoe Helms singled to right field and scored Addison Wheeler from third, granting the home team its first run of the day.
A passed ball allowed another Green Jays run to score and Rachel Montgomery's RBI-single to right field cut the deficit to 6-3, before Cooper came in to shut down the rally. However, Jackson State simply picked up where it left off in the next frame, adding two more runs due to Northwest errors and cutting the Rangers' lead to 6-5.
Neither team was able to get much going in the sixth inning and the Rangers were retired in order in the top half of the seventh. With Harrison moving back to pitcher for the bottom of the seventh, the sophomore retired the Green Jays in order, helping Northwest hang on to the Game 1 victory.
Game 2 - Northwest 9, Jackson State (Tenn.) 1 (5 inn.)
Gabby Dickerson was nearly untouchable through 4.1 innings, as the sophomore struck out five batters and allowed no walks, helping Northwest cruise to the run-rule victory.
Northwest got three runs on the board in the top of the first, thanks to a sac fly from
Kaylee Owens and a left field error that allowed
McKaylee Polk and
Neely Cooper to score. The Rangers would add four more in the second, as a two-run, inside the park home run from Cooper highlighted the inning.
Anna Nickens kept the scoring going in the third, crossing the plate off an error. A quiet fourth inning gave way to one more run in the top of the fifth, as
Amber Racca's RBI-single helped score
Madeline Houk for a 9-0 advantage.
With two outs, Jackson State spoiled the shutout with an RBI-single in the bottom of the fifth, but that did little to take away from the Rangers' sweep.
Northwest earned nine hits in the contest, led by
Kara Johnson's 2-for-3 effort in the leadoff spot.
