SENATOBIA - Northwest surrendered early runs in both games of Saturday's doubleheader against East Central, dropping a pair of tough 4-2 and 3-2 losses to the Warriors.
Northwest took a 2-1 lead in the second inning of the nightcap, but surrendered two runs in the top of the sixth, resulting in the Game 2 loss. The Rangers also finished with seven hits in the opener, but only three in the finale.
With the losses, the Rangers fell to 16-12 on the season and 4-4 in the MACCC. East Central improved to 16-12 overall and 7-1 in conference play.Â
Northwest will aim to get back on the winning track on Wednesday, March 29, when the Rangers make a visit to Holmes. The doubleheader is scheduled for 2/5 P.M. in Goodman, with both games available to watch on
holmesccmedia.com.
Game 1 - East Central 4, Northwest 2
East Central tacked on runs in each of the first two innings and the Warriors added two more in the fourth, edging Northwest for the 4-2 victory.
Northwest cut the deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the third inning, but the Rangers could only muster one more run the rest of the way.Â
Brooks Rice (3-1) lasted the first five innings on the mound, striking out two batters and allowed three earned runs and five walks.
Mason Shropshire and
Rudy Baldwyn tossed a collective four innings of relief, combining for three strikeouts with no hits or runs given up.
Northwest finished with seven hits, led by a 3-for-5 effort from
James Smith that included a double.
Cade Greer also went 2-for-5 with an RBI.
East Central was led by Eli Collins at the plate, accounting for two of the Warriors' four base hits.
Game 2 - East Central 3, Northwest 2
Northwest held a 2-1 lead entering the top of the sixth inning, only for East Central to send two runs across the plate in a crushing 3-2 defeat for the Rangers.
Both teams combined for seven base hits, led by four for the Warriors. Smith,
Dawson Griffin and
Eli Selby collected one base hit apiece, with Smith earning a home run.Â
Logan Eldridge (2-5) took the hard-luck loss on the mound, tossing two strikeouts against one walk in 5.2 innings. Only one of Eldridge's runs were earned.
Collins went 2-for-3 with a double to lead the Warriors at the plate.
