BOONEVILLE - A little Saturday night magic was in the air for the final two games of the Mississippi-Illinois Challenge.

Fresh off of earning two wins in Vicksburg the day before, No. 8 Northwest had to come from behind twice in a pair of games against Frontier and Kaskaskia. The Rangers rallied from a 4-0 deficit to earn the 10-6 win against Frontier, before storming back from a narrow 1-0 deficit in the fifth inning of a 9-1 victory against Kaskaskia.

Northwest combined for 24 base hits in the wins, earning 12 in each game. A number of Rangers stepped up at the plate, while pitchers Neely Cooper and Allyson Harrison answered the call in the circle, with Harrison tossing 10 strikeouts in six complete innings against Kaskaskia.

With the victories, the Rangers improved to 10-0 overall, matching the program's best start since the 2007 season. Northwest will face one final tournament before entering conference play, traveling to National Park College in Hot Springs, Ark. on Friday, facing off against Navarro and Allen County in the Nighthawk Round Robin.


Game 1 - #8 Northwest 10, Frontier 6

Desperately needing some offense in a 4-0 hole to Frontier, the Rangers came alive offensively in the bottom of the fourth, scoring five runs to take a slim one-run lead. Later, Northwest added four more in the fifth and another in the sixth, clinching the comeback against the Bobcats.

Northwest outmatched Frontier 12-7 in total hits, led by two apiece from Neely Cooper, Kara Johnson, Anna Nickens, Kaylee Owens and Reese Vanlandingham.

Frontier wasted no time in challenging the Rangers, as the Bobcats gained the quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first with a two-out double from Madison Shipley. Kyleigh Guinzy led off the second with a solo homer and the Bobcats got two more in the third for the 4-0 advantage.

Though the Rangers struggled to contain the Bobcats' bats early, Cooper entered the circle in the third inning and tossed five strikeouts over the final five innings. Meanwhile, Northwest got the bats going in the fourth, churning out five hits and flipping the script on Frontier.

After Cooper led off with a single through the left side, Owens smacked a triple to center field to score Cooper, adding the Rangers' first run. After Owens scored on an error to slice the Bobcats' deficit in half, Nickens mashed another triple to set up an RBI-single from Crista Wilson. 

Another error allowed Wilson to cross the plate for the tying run and the Rangers would finally take the lead at 5-4, thanks to Johnson's two-out RBI-single.

Cooper and the Rangers' infield kept Frontier from responding in the top of the fifth, keeping the momentum with Northwest. After Cooper led off the bottom of the fifth with a single, Nickens eventually brought in the sixth run on a sac fly.

Errors from Frontier helped Northwest pile on further. With a pair of runners in scoring position, Vanlandingham sent a double through the left side, stretching the lead to 9-4 by the end of the fifth inning.

Although Frontier added a pair of runs in the top of the sixth and loaded the bases with one out, the Rangers retired the final two batters, one on a fielder's choice and one on a strikeout from Cooper. In response, Northwest delivered another run in the home half of the inning, thanks to a solo home run from Owens.

Frontier issued one final threat in the top of the seventh, but the Bobcats grounded out to McKaylee Polk at third, stranding two runners on base and sealing the 10-6 final for Northwest.

For the second time in as many days, Cooper picked up the win in the circle, moving to 2-0 on the season. Shipley was issued the loss for Frontier, surrendering four earned runs over 4.2 innings.

Shipley and Tenley Gilbert combined for four of the Bobcats' seven hits.


Game 2 - #8 Northwest 9, Kaskaskia 1 (6 inn.)

What started as a pitchers' duel between Allyson Harrison and Kaskaskia's Ivy Smart turned into a run-rule victory for Northwest, after the Rangers tallied nine runs over the final two innings.

With both teams scoreless through three innings of play, Kaskaskia finally broke through in the top of the fourth. With two outs, Mikayla Healy singled through the left side and Ashlyn Colvis scored her on a double to left field, giving the Blue Angels the 1-0 advantage.

Though the Rangers failed to respond in the fourth, Harrison limited the damage and held the Blue Angels off the scoreboard in the top of the fifth. That allowed Northwest to break things open in the home half of the fifth, starting with Harrison reaching base on an error to lead off the inning.

Maggie Ross followed with a single and Madeline Houk's single to center scored Harrison to tie the game. With two outs, Polk helped the Rangers gain some breathing room, blasting a two-run double to left center that stretched the lead to 3-1.

As Harrison held Kaskaskia off the board once again in the sixth, Northwest pulled further away in the bottom of the inning. Houk tripled to score Amber Racca and Houk later scored on a wild pitch, widening the gap to 5-1. After Johnson doubled to center field to bring in Vanlandingham, Polk sent a two-run homer to left center to make it an 8-1 advantage.

After Cooper doubled to center field, Owens sent the Rangers home with the run-rule, scoring pinch runner Shelby Payne on an RBI-double.

Harrison improved to 4-0 on the season after tossing six complete frames, while Smart was handed the loss after surrendering six earned runs in 5.2 innings.

At the plate, the Rangers finished with 12 base hits, led by two each from Cooper, Houk, Polk and Vanlandingham. Polk was credited with four RBIs, while Houk finished with two RBIs.

Kaskaskia finished with six base hits, led by Healy's 3-for-3 effort. Read Full Article