SENATOBIA - Strong outings on the mound by Brooks Rice and Logan Eldridge carried Northwest to a pair of 7-4 and 3-1 victories against Hinds on Saturday afternoon, marking the second consecutive sweep for the Rangers.

Rice lasted 7.2 innings during the opener, relieved only by Zach Beasley for the final out of the eighth inning and Brayden Sanders, who recorded his ninth save of the season to move into a tie for second for career saves. The sophomore from Madison dished out six strikeouts against four walks, allowing three of his four runs in the top of the eighth.

Sophomore Logan Eldridge tossed a complete seven-game effort in the nightcap, improving to 3-5 on the season. The Arlington, Tenn. native dished out four strikeouts, while surrendering a single unearned run.

Northwest jumped to 20-12 overall and 8-4 in the MACCC, while Hinds dropped to 18-15 and 6-6 in conference play.

With the sweep, Northwest skipper Mark Carson also collected his 498th and 499th career victories since taking the head coaching reins in 2006. The former Northwest and Southern Miss baseball standout could earn his 500th career win on Tuesday, April 4 against Coahoma, joining Jim Miles as the only Northwest baseball coach to achieve that milestone. 

Carson, an Independence native, already became the program's second-winningest coach on March 29, 2015, when he surpassed Donny Castle's 271-win total. He trails only the legendary Miles, who retired with 556 career wins following the 1997 season.

Tuesday's doubleheader against Coahoma is tentatively scheduled for a 2/5 P.M. twinbill at Jim Miles Field. The games will be carried on Ranger TV.


Game 1 - Northwest 7, Hinds 1

Along with a solid outing from Rice (4-1), Northwest plated runs in the first, third and fourth innings to build a comfortable lead on Hinds, eventually resulting in the 7-4 win against the Eagles.

Both teams finished near even in hits, with the Rangers earning a 10-9 edge. However, Rice successfully prevented the Eagles from stringing base hits together through most of the game, limiting Hinds to a single run in the top of the second.

A leadoff single from Jacob Hill and a fielding error in Cade Greer's at-bat allowed the Rangers to get the first two runners on base in the bottom of the first. A stolen base advanced the runners, before a sac fly from Cade Leatherwood brought in the first run.

A passed ball on the next at-bat allowed Greer to score from third, pushing the early lead to 2-0. Though a two-out single in the second helped Hinds get on the board, Hayes Davis helped score two in the third with his two-run single up the middle, stretching the Rangers' lead back to 4-1.

Hill and Dawson Griffin provided back-to-back singles to lead off the fourth, setting up an RBI-single from Greer. Leatherwood followed with another RBI-single and Eli Selby reached on a fielder's choice, pushing Northwest to the 7-1 advantage.

Meanwhile, Rice recorded three consecutive 1-2-3 frames from the third through the fifth innings, keeping the Eagles at bay. Hinds left a runner on base during the following two frames, unable to put any rally together.

Things changed in favor of the Eagles for just a bit in the eighth inning, as Hinds used a sac fly from Connor Chisolm and a two-run homer from Clay Benson, pulling within a 7-4 deficit. After Beasley got the final out and stranded two Eagles on base, Sanders slammed the door in the top of the ninth, collecting the save.

Cole Smith (3-3) was handed the loss for Hinds, allowing seven runs on nine base hits with two strikeouts. Connor Nation tossed the final two innings of relief, garnering a pair of strikeouts while surrendering no runs and one base hit.

Hill provided one of his best games at the plate for the Rangers, finishing 4-for-5 with a double, while Griffin went 2-for-4. Tyler Janos and Elijah Thompson led Hinds with two base hits apiece.


Game 2 - Northwest 3, Hinds 1

For the first time in his collegiate career, Eldridge notched a complete game and surrendered an unearned run in the top of the first, helping Northwest to the 3-1 win.

Eldridge struck out four Hinds' batters, while only allowing a hit and two walks. He improved to 3-5 on the mound, while Matthew Azordegan was dealt the loss for Hinds, despite seven strikeouts and three unearned runs.

After a rocky first inning that saw the Eagles score their only run, Eldridge settled in with a 1-2-3 frame in the top of the second. Meanwhile, Northwest drew back-to-back walks with two outs in the bottom of the second, tying the game on a wild pitch that allowed Peyton Martin to score from third.

Griffin then gave the Rangers the lead, blasting an RBI-single to right center, scoring Davis from third. However, the inning would end with a play at the plate, as Cy Craig was denied a scoring attempt from second base on the same play.

After Hinds was unable to respond in the top of the third, the Rangers struck again with two outs, thanks to Selby's RBI-double to left field. The 3-1 score would hold the rest of the way, although the Eagles threatened in the top of the sixth, leaving a pair of runners stranded.

Eldridge needed no help to finish the top of the seventh, tossing a pair of strikeouts and forcing a groundout to third base to end the game.

Both teams combined for just three base hits, with Chisolm recording the lone hit for Hinds. Selby's double was also the only extra base hit of the game. Read Full Article