PERKINSTON - Although Northwest was shutout in Friday's opener at Mississippi Gulf Coast, the Rangers rallied back to take an 8-3 lead in the finale and held off a late push from the Lady Bulldogs, earning the 8-7 victory.
Neely Cooper (10-10) pitched in both games for Northwest, taking the Game 1 loss before entering in relief of
Morgen Brewton to earn the win in the nightcap.
Abby Rogers also came on in relief of Cooper in the seventh inning of Game 2, picking up her second save of the season.
Northwest finished with 11 hits at the plate, eight of those coming in the Game 2 victory. Freshman
Ellie Fryar went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, while Rogers hit a home run.
With the split, the Rangers moved to 25-15 on the season and 12-12 inside the MACCC, as Mississippi Gulf Coast moved to 32-18 overall and 14-9 in conference play. Northwest returns home for the final two doubleheaders of the regular season, beginning with Sophomore Day on Wednesday, April 24 against Itawamba. The Lady Indians (22-25, 12-10 MACCC) have won six of their last seven games, including sweeps against East Mississippi and Mississippi Delta.
Game times against Itawamba are scheduled for 3/5 P.M., with Sophomore Day ceremonies taking place in between the two games. Broadcast coverage will be provided on
Ranger TV.Â
Game 1 - Mississippi Gulf Coast 8, Northwest 0 (5 inn.)
Leading 2-0 entering the fourth inning, Mississippi Gulf Coast scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth and three more in the fifth, taking the run-rule victory against Northwest.
Cooper kept the Lady Bulldogs off the board in the first inning, but a two-run frame in the second allowed Mississippi Gulf Coast to take the early lead. Cooper exited the game in the fourth inning with four runs allowed, but only two earned. Rogers then threw the final 1.2 frames, giving up four runs, with only one counting as earned.
Both teams combined for just eight hits, with Northwest being held to three. Rogers finished 2-for-2 to lead the Rangers at the plate, with
Kaylee Owens accounting for the other base hit.
Mississippi Gulf Coast scattered all five of its hits through the lineup, with A.B. Parrish and Irina Sanford accounting for one double each. Olivia Falcon picked up the win for the Lady Bulldogs, pitching all five innings with two strikeouts and no walks allowed.
Game 2 - Northwest 8, Mississippi Gulf Coast 7
Much like the opener, Northwest fell behind early, only to score seven runs across the fourth and fifth innings, as the Rangers defeated Mississippi Gulf Coast in the finale.
A pair of errors helped the Lady Bulldogs add two quick runs in the bottom of the first, and an RBI-double from Savannah Wilbanks made it a 3-0 deficit for the Rangers. However, Northwest answered with back-to-back doubles in the top of the second inning from
Kara Johnson and
Madelyn Wadkins, closing the gap to 3-1.
As both teams went scoreless in the third inning,
Sommer Tyes led off the fourth with a single to third base. Wadkins' sacrifice bunt helped move Tyes over to second and a two-out double from
Madeline Houk allowed Tyes to score, bringing the score within 3-2.
Another double from Fryar scored Houk, tying the game at 3-3, before Rogers' two-run homer gave the Rangers a 5-3 advantage.
A series of miscues from the Lady Bulldogs helped Northwest further extend the lead in the top of the fifth, as Owens drew a walk and Johnson reached base on an error. Tyes was then hit by a pitch to load the bases, and two runs would score thanks to an error at second base. A passed ball allowed Tyes to score with two outs, pushing the Rangers to an 8-3 advantage.
Cooper, who entered in relief of Brewton in the fourth inning, pitched her second consecutive scoreless frame in the bottom of the fifth. However, Mississippi Gulf Coast responded with four runs in the bottom of the sixth, closing the gap to 8-7 with two outs. With the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position, Cooper forced Kamryn LaFosse into a groundout to end the threat.
With Northwest unable to get anything going in the top of the seventh, the Rangers were once again on the ropes in the bottom of the inning. Parrish doubled with one out and advanced to third with two outs, as Jorja Roberson reached base on a walk, representing the winning run. However, Jett Harrell popped up to Wadkins to end the game in favor of Northwest.
Both teams combined for 17 base hits, with eight coming from the Rangers. Fryar went 3-for-4 at the plate with an RBI and a double, while Houk, Johnson and Wadkins each finished with a double.
Cooper picked up the win in relief, tossing two strikeouts against a pair of walks and two earned runs in three complete frames. Rogers pitched the final inning to earn the save, while Brewton tossed the first three frames, striking out two batters against a walk and three unearned runs.
Harrell led the Lady Bulldogs with two base hits and a double, while Kylee Necaise was handed the loss with two strikeouts against a pair of walks and five earned runs in 3.2 innings. Falcon and Kylie Burnette also pitched in relief for Mississippi Gulf Coast, with Burnette lasting 1.1 frames with two strikeouts, two walks and three unearned runs. Meanwhile, Falcon tossed the final two scoreless innings, allowing just one base hit.
Both teams also finished with six combined errors, including four from Northwest.
