SENATOBIA - An extra-innings walk-off homer from James Smith helped No. 16 Northwest take a 13-12 win in the opener, but Meridian rallied back to take a 6-3 win in the nightcap on Saturday.

Smith also pitched the final two innings of relief, earning his eighth victory of the season. Both teams combined for 33 base hits in the first game, with 16 of those coming from Northwest.

In the finale, the Rangers were limited to just four base hits, two of which came from Peyton Martin.

With the split, Northwest moved to 31-12 on the season and 16-4 in the MACCC, while Meridian moved 26-16 overall and 11-9 in conference play. The Rangers are scheduled to visit Rhodes College JV on Monday, April 15 at 3 P.M., before hosting East Mississippi on Wednesday, April 17 at 2/5 P.M.


Game 1 - #16 Northwest 13, Meridian 12 (10 inn.)

Northwest trailed by deep deficits of 8-1 and 10-4, only to eventually rally back with the help of a seven-run frame in the bottom of the eighth and Smith's walk-off home run, earning the Game 1 victory.

Northwest took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, as Cade Greer scored from third on a passed ball. However, Meridian quickly knotted the game up in the top of the second, as a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch to Brennon Wright scored Landon Houston from third.

Meridian would then break the game open in the top of the third, scoring seven runs on eight hits. With one out, a single from Blaise Priester and a double from Houston set the wheels in motion, as Chris Watson followed with a two-run double that gave the Eagles a 3-1 advantage.

Jacob Scott then delivered a two-run single to right field, scoring Watson and Ross Polizzi, before Rhett Ketchum blasted a three-run homer to right center, giving MCC the 8-1 lead. The Eagles kept threatening in the inning, before Cooper Mitze took the mound in relief of Brennan Jones, leaving two Meridian runners stranded.

Despite the disastrous frame, Northwest responded back in the bottom of the third, as Tyler Pearson delivered a single to center field to lead off the inning. With two runners on, Peyton Martin launched a homer to left center, cutting the deficit to 8-4.

Meridian issued three walks to Matthew Roncalli, Levi Lang and Smith, loading the bases for the Rangers with two outs. However, the Eagles' pitching change to Chris Matthews allowed MCC to get out of the inning without any further damage done.

Meridian added another run off a sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth and another off an RBI-single in the top of the sixth, stretching the lead to 10-4. However, Northwest scraped a run across in the bottom of the seventh to cut the deficit in half, thanks to an RBI-single from Lang.

After Cy Craig pitched another scoreless frame in the top of the eighth, Northwest took advantage of a Meridian pitching change and successfully tacked on seven runs. Hayes Davis started the inning with a single to right center and back-to-back walks to Pearson and Jacob Hill loaded the bases, and Greer made the Eagles pay, sending a two-run double up the middle, cutting the lead to 10-7.

Martin then hammered a double to right field, scoring Greer from second, pulling the Rangers back within 10-8. After the Eagles made another call to the bullpen, Cade Leatherwood helped another run to score on an RBI-double to left field, bringing the score to 10-9.

Meridian then issued a walk to Roncalli and Lang helped Northwest take the lead, sending a two-run double down the left field line. The Eagles made another call to the bullpen, but gave up one more run on an RBI-single from Davis, sending the Rangers to the ninth with a 12-10 advantage.

Meridian would not go down without a fight, though, as back-to-back doubles from Ketchum and Cooper Chaplain led off the top of the ninth. Chaplain's double scored Ketchum, bringing the Eagles back within 12-11, and Watson's single to center field tied the game up. Northwest got two runners on base in the home half of the ninth, but the Rangers were unable to break the tie, forcing extra innings.

Smith retired the Eagles in order during the top of the 10th and led off the home half of the 10th, blasting the solo homer to left field to secure the win for Northwest.

Both teams combined to use nine pitchers in the contest, with Smith (8-2) tossing two scoreless frames in relief for Northwest. Jones lasted 2.2 frames to start, allowing eight runs on 10 hits, while Mitze pitched three complete innings, striking out three batters against three walks and a pair of earned runs. For his part, Craig tossed 2.1 innings, allowing two runs.

Cole Blackwell (1-1) pitched the final 1.2 frames for Meridian and was handed the loss. Andrew Prejean started the outing for the Eagles, striking out one against three walks and three earned runs in 2.2 total frames. Matthews went the longest for MCC, totaling 4.1 innings with a strikeout, a walk and an earned run.

Payton Fowler and Seth Cooper combined for only one out in the bottom of the eighth, with both pitchers surrendering seven earned runs and three walks.

At the plate, the Rangers were led by a pair of 3-for-5 efforts from Davis and Martin, while Greer, Lang, Leatherwood and Smith finished with two base hits each.

Meridian was paced by 17 hits, led by three each from Ketchum and Watson. Every batter in the Eagles' lineup finished with at least one base hit, except Wright.


Game 2 - Meridian 6, #16 Northwest 3

Despite taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning, Northwest surrendered two runs in the third and two more in the sixth, as Meridian took the finale from the Rangers.

Meridian left a pair of runners stranded to start off the game and Jacob Humbers walked the first two Northwest batters to start the bottom of the first. Martin would then get a single and an errant throw by the Eagles' shortstop allowed both Hill and Greer to score, giving the Rangers the early advantage.

Meridian answered back in the top of the third, as a pair of walks and a failed pickoff attempt put runners on the corners for the Eagles. Priester's sacrifice fly allowed one run to score and Watson's RBI-single tied the game at 2-2.

Northwest took the lead back in the home half of the third, as Greer led off the inning with a double and scored on Martin's RBI-single to right center. 

Trailing 3-2, Meridian tied the game in the top of the fifth, thanks to Priester's solo homer to right field. The Eagles regained the lead for good in the top of the sixth, thanks to Ketchum's two-run homer to right center and an insurance run in the top of the seventh off Eli Huebner's RBI-double.

Meridian finished with 11 hits in the nightcap, led by two apiece from Houston, Huebner and Polizzi. Northwest was held to just four hits, highlighted by two from Martin.

Humbers pitched a complete game for the Eagles, striking out three batters against three walks and two earned runs. Mason Shropshire (1-3) threw 4.1 frames for the Rangers, finishing with two strikeouts against four walks and three earned runs.

Jackson Jenkins and Carson Fox combined for 2.2 innings of relief, collectively earning a strikeout against a walk and three earned runs. Read Full Article