MERIDIAN - Neely Cooper pitched a near-complete game for No. 20 Northwest in Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader at Meridian, but the Lady Eagles stormed back in the seventh inning of Game 2, forcing an even split between the two teams.
Northwest took the opener by a 6-2 final and led 5-2 going into the bottom of the seventh of Game 2, before surrendering four runs to Meridian in a 6-5 loss.
Cooper improved to 8-9 in the circle with her Game 1 victory and Northwest finished with six base hits, led by a 2-for-4 effort from
Abby Rogers.
Addison Owen took the loss in relief during Game 2, as the Rangers surrendered 10 hits to Meridian.
With the split, Northwest sits at 22-14 overall and 9-11 in the MACCC, while Meridian moved to 19-25 on the season and 6-10 in conference play.
Northwest will continue its final road swing of the regular season this week, visiting East Mississippi on Wednesday, April 17 and Mississippi Gulf Coast on Saturday, April 20.Â
Game 1 - #20 Northwest 6, Meridian 2
Northwest trailed 2-0 in the bottom of the second inning, before rallying back to score six unanswered runs in the Rangers' Game 1 victory.
Meridian scored the first two runs of the contest in the bottom of the second, thanks to a two-out, two-run triple from Lindsey McMahon. The Rangers responded right away in the top of the third, as
Carly Dunigan reached on an error and
Lulu Franks sent a two-run homer to left field, tying the game at 2-2.
A slew of Meridian miscues allowed the Rangers to take the lead in the top of the fourth, as
Kara Johnson scored on a passed ball in
Shelby Payne's at-bat. Despite having three runners on base, Northwest was unable to get anything else, as the Lady Eagles turned a double play to keep the score at 3-2.
After another scoreless frame for Cooper in the bottom of the fourth, the Rangers stretched their lead with a three-run frame in the top of the fifth. A leadoff walk to
Chloe Summerford put a runner on base, while
Abby Rogers' single was followed by an RBI-double from
Hanna Grace Gillean, giving Northwest the 4-2 advantage.
Johnson followed with a two-run double in her next at-bat, stretching the Rangers' lead to 6-2. From there, Meridian only gave up one base hit over the final two innings and Northwest kept the Lady Eagles scoreless the rest of the way.
Cooper scattered six strikeouts and no walks, allowing just two earned runs and four hits in 6.2 innings of work. Owen pitched the final out of the game for Northwest.
Lauren Brooks (7-12) took the loss for Meridian, striking out four batters agaisnt two walks and four earned runs in 4.2 starting innings. Marlee McCalister tossed the final 2.1 innings for the Lady Eagles, delivering a pair of strikeouts and surrendering one base hit.
Game 2 - Meridian 6, #20 Northwest 5
Despite building a 4-0 lead through the first three and a half innings, Meridian scored two in the bottom of the fourth and four in the bottom of the seventh, rallying back to upset Northwest in the nightcap.
After a scoreless first inning,
Kara Johnson singled and stole second base, before scoring on
Kaylee Owens' single to center field, providing the first run of the game for Northwest. The Rangers then added another run in the third, thanks to a solo home run from
Ellie Fryar, stretching the lead to 2-0.
With one out in the top of the fourth, Franks was hit by a pitch and Dunigan singled, setting up an RBI-double from Summerford and a sacrifice fly from Fryar, pushing the Rangers to a 4-0 advantage.
However, Meridian quickly cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the fourth, as back-to-back errors with no outs helped the Lady Eagles score two runs.
Though Owens' solo home run helped Northwest add to its lead in the top of the fifth, the Rangers were unable to create any more separation entering the bottom of the seventh. Northwest quickly got the first two outs, but three straight doubles from Sydney Coleman, Presley Black and Hanna Homra helped the Lady Eagles tie the game at 5-5.
Meridian delivered the final dagger in the next at-bat, as Mollie Mitchell's single to center field scored Homra from third, denying the sweep for Northwest.
Brewton threw 6.2 innings for the Rangers, racking up 10 strikeouts against no walks, despite allowing two earned runs. Owen gave up two earned runs and two hits in her brief relief appearance, before Brewton re-entered, surrendering the final two base hits.
Both teams combined for 19 base hits, with 10 of those coming from Meridian. Homra and Mitchell accounted for two base hits apiece for the Lady Eagles, whiel Black, Coleman and McMahon accounted for three doubles each.
Owens went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead the Rangers, including a home run and two RBIs.Â
Phallyn Clark earned the win in the circle for Meridian, tossing one scoreless inning with a strikeout. Sarah Watson started the first four frames for the Lady Eagles, giving up four earned runs and a walk, while McCalister pitched two complete innings with two walks and an earned run surrendered.
