SUMMIT - Northwest issued a successful rally to take Game 1, but Southwest Mississippi tacked on three runs in the sixth inning of the nightcap to deny the Rangers the sweep in Saturday's conference-opener.
Northwest finished with 10 base hits apiece despite the split, moving to 13-8 on the season and 1-1 in MACCC competition. Southwest Mississippi improved to 11-12 overall and 1-1 in the conference.
Zach Beasley picked up the win on the mound in Game 1 for the Rangers, while
Brayden Sanders collected his fourth save of the season.
Logan Eldridge was handed the loss in the finale, tossing five full frames.
Northwest will step out of conference play on Wednesday for one midweek game against Parkland College, scheduled for Wednesday, March 15. The Rangers are then scheduled to visit Copiah-Lincoln on Saturday, March 18.
Game 1 - Northwest 6, Southwest Mississippi 5
A two-run double by
Eli Selby in the top of the ninth completed the rally for Northwest in the opener, as the Rangers scored a 6-5 win at Southwest Mississippi.
An error allowed the Rangers to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning, only for the Bears to respond with the tying run in the bottom of the third. Though Northwest again took the lead with a two-out single from
Dawson Griffin in the top of the fourth, Southwest Mississippi eventually sent four runs across the plate in the bottom of the fifth, pushing the Rangers into a 5-2 deficit.
Although the next three innings were quiet for both teams, Northwest used the top of the ninth to shake things up. After grounding out in the Rangers' first at-bat, back-to-back singles from
Matthew Roncalli and
Dawson Griffin put the tying run at the plate. A walk to
Jacob Hill loaded the bases and
Cade Greer brought in a run via a hit-by-pitch.
Now trailing 5-3,
Cade Leatherwood's sac fly to right field scored Griffin from third and Selby's double sent the final two runners across the plate.
Brayden Sanders then closed things out for good with a pop-up and a pair of strikeouts in the top half of the ninth.
Northwest finished with 10 base hits in the win, compared to just five from Southwest Mississippi. Griffin and Roncalli led the Ranger batters with two base hits apiece, while Selby accounted for two RBIs.
Game 2 - Southwest Mississippi 5, Northwest 2
Southwest Mississippi took a 2-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back, adding three more in the sixth to take a 5-2 victory in the nightcap.
A walk and a single helped put two runners on quickly for the Bears and Connor McHenry drove both runs in on a double to right field. Selby helped Northwest answer with an RBI-single in the top half of the third inning and a single from
Hayes Davis tied the game in the top of the fifth.
However, a leadoff walk came back to haunt Northwest in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs on the board, the Bears delivered back-to-back singles to score a pair of runs. A passed ball on strike three then allowed McHenry to score from third, pushing the Bears' advantage to 5-2.
Northwest tried to rally in the seventh with a pair of base hits from
Cy Craig and
Cade Leatherwood, but the Rangers would ground into a double play and a groundout to end the game.
Northwest once again outhit the Bears despite the loss, led by two hits apiece from Davis, Leatherwood, Hill and
Thomas Cheatham, who also earned a pair of stolen bases. Braiden Jones led Southwest Mississippi with three of the team's six hits.
Eldridge dropped to 1-4 on the mound with the loss, tossing seven strikeouts against seven walks in five total frames.
Mason Shropshire also threw an inning of relief, tossing four strikeouts, one of which resulted in a passed ball on strike three that kept the inning going for the Bears.
