VICKSBURG - Northwest combined for 19 base hits along with clutch pitching efforts from Gabby Dickerson and Neely Cooper, as the eighth-ranked Rangers earned an 8-1 win against Coastal Alabama-North and a 5-4 decision against 17th-ranked Parkland College during Friday's JUCO Classic.

With the sweep, the Rangers remained unbeaten at 8-0 overall, marking the program's best start since the 2007 season. 

Sophomore McKaylee Polk remained a force at the plate, finishing a combined 3-for-7 with a double, a home run and three RBIs. Reese Vanlandingham also finished 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs and was walked three times.

Northwest will have a quick turnaround, as the Rangers will finish up the weekend in Saturday's Mississippi-Illinois Challenge from Booneville. The Rangers are scheduled to face Kaskaskia at 4 P.M. and Frontier at 6 P.M., with both games being carried on nemcctv.com/goldchannel/.


Game 1 - #8 Northwest 8, Coastal Alabama-North 1

McKaylee Polk's two-run homer set the tone for a strong hitting performance, as Northwest defeated Coastal Alabama-North by an 8-1 final.

Northwest scored at least one run through the first four innings and two more in the sixth, building a significant lead early. Errors and miscues from the Eagles helped the Rangers add a run in the second and two more in the third, stretching the lead to 5-0.

While the Rangers worked at the plate, Gabby Dickerson was busy shutting down the bats, as the sophomore tossed her first complete game of the season and struck out seven batters.

After Coastal Alabama-North issued a leadoff walk to Madeline Houk in the fourth, the freshman stole second and scored off an RBI-single by Reese Vanlandingham. Later in the sixth, Crista Wilson knocked a leadoff double to left field, which later led to an RBI-single from Kara Johnson and another run on a fielder's choice, widening the Rangers' lead to 8-0.

Though the Eagles did get on the board off an error in the bottom of the sixth, Northwest limited the damage while Dickerson issued three strikeouts in the seventh, putting the exclamation point on a solid win for the Rangers.

Northwest finished with nine hits in the contest, led by two apiece from Johnson, Neely Cooper and Anna Nickens. Coastal Alabama-North was limited to four hits, led by two from Madison Holland.


Game 2 - #8 Northwest 5, #17 Parkland College 4

Facing its toughest test of the 2023 season thus far, Northwest was locked in a grueling battle with 17th-ranked Parkland College during the nightcap. 

Tied at 4-4 entering the seventh inning, Polk provided the go-ahead run with a double to center field that scored Johnson from second. Then, Cooper closed out the game with a gritty effort in the seventh, striking out the final Cobras' batter and leaving the tying run stranded at third, sealing the close 5-4 victory.

Northwest jumped ahead quickly on the Cobras, scoring three runs in the top half of the first. Vanlandingham led off the game with a single and then stole second base, later scoring on a two-out single from Cooper. Then, freshman Kaylee Owens mashed a triple to center field, scoring Cooper and then scoring herself after a throwing error at third base, as the Rangers went up 3-0.

With two outs in the top of the second, Houk delivered a double to center field, which was immediately followed by an RBI-single from Vanlandingham. The at-bat put another run on the board, allowing Northwest to stretch the lead to 4-0.

However, the bats began to awaken in the bottom of the second for Parkland College. A pair of singles led off the frame for the Cobras and a two-run double sliced the lead in half, before Allyson Harrison retired the next three batters.

Polk and Cooper led off the third with a pair of singles, but both were left stranded. Parkland College would get runners in scoring position with two outs in the home half of the inning, only for Polk and catcher Maggie Ross to connect on a pickoff of the runner at third, ending the inning and the scoring threat.

After the Rangers were unable to get anything going in the top of the fourth, the Cobras struck back in the bottom half of the inning, as an RBI-double and a wild pitch helped Parkland College tie the game at 4-4.

From there, both pitchers locked in, starting with Parkland's Karley Yergler keeping the Rangers off the board in the top of the fifth. Then, Harrison followed with a 1-2-3 inning to keep the Cobras from taking the lead.

Northwest got a runner on second in the top of the sixth, but the Rangers were unable to score. Cooper started the sixth in relief of Harrison and was able to keep the Cobras off the board, partially due to a heads-up play at third where Polk tagged out the lead runner on a fielder's choice.

With the game still tied in the seventh, the heroics kicked in for Northwest, as Johnson led off with an outfield single. The speedy freshman then stole second base and scored off Polk's double, giving the Rangers a 5-4 lead.

Though Cooper issued a leadoff walk in the bottom of the seventh, the freshman got the next two batters out as the lead runner advanced to third. With the tying run just steps away, Cooper locked in and delivered the strikeout of Lizzie Stiverson, preserving the victory for the Rangers.

Northwest finished with 10 base hits in the win, led by two apiece from Cooper, Houk, Polk and Vanlandingham. Parkland College finished with eight hits, including two each from Jaidi Davis, Lexie Griffin and Bri Roloff.

Though she didn't earn the winning decision, Harrison lasted five full innings for Northwest, finishing with four strikeouts against four earned runs, while allowing no walks. Yergler tossed all seven frames for the Cobras, finishing with nine strikeouts against a pair of walks. Read Full Article