GOODMAN - Hits might have been hard to come by for Northwest on Tuesday afternoon, but the ninth-ranked Rangers were carried by pitching in a 3-0 and 5-1 sweep of Holmes.
Morgen Brewton went the distance in the opener, improving to 13-2 on the season, while
Catelyn Brown earned the win in the nightcap. Additionally,
Abby Rogers pitched the final three innings of the finale, picking up her fifth save of the season, further adding to her career saves record. The Brandon native also set the single-season saves record, surpassing the previous record of four set by Amber Clay (2007).
Northwest was held to just three hits in the opener, highlighted by
Ellie Fryar's double.
Carly Dunigan and
Thenya Kennedy each finished 2-for-4 at the plate in the nightcap, with Dunigan accounting for a double and a triple. Additionally, Fryar hit a home run, her third of the season.
Next up for the Rangers is a pair of back-to-back doubleheaders against Hinds and No. 12 Northeast. Northwest will first host Hinds on Friday, March 28 at 2/4 P.M., with live coverage on
Ranger TV.
Game 1 - #9 Northwest 3, Holmes 0
Brewton finished on the better end of a pitcher's duel in Tuesday's opener at Holmes, striking out six batters and allowing just one walk.
Both teams combined for just six base hits and Northwest scored all three of its runs in the first three innings of the game. Fryar led off the top of the first with a double to left field, later scoring off a single from
Sommer Tyes.
In the third inning, the Rangers tacked on two runs, starting with an error in
Addison Owen's at-bat, which allowed
Thenya Kennedy to score. A sacrifice bunt then boosted the lead to 3-0.
From there, Josie Azlin settled in for Holmes, pitching four scoreless frames the rest of the way. Azlin went the distance for the Lady Bulldogs, earning a pair of strikeouts against two walks and two earned runs.
Like Northwest, Holmes also scattered all three of its hits through the lineup, with Mollie Swilley's double being the biggest highlight for the Lady Bulldogs.
Game 2 - #9 Northwest 5, Holmes 1
Northwest allowed a run in the bottom of the first, but the Rangers kept Holmes off the board the rest of the way, eventually storming back for the 5-1 victory.
Holmes got on the scoreboard with a two-out solo homer from Kaitlyn Jones, but Brown quickly got the third out to limit the damage.
In the top of the third, Northwest rallied back with a two-run frame, starting with a game-tying solo home run from Fryar. A sac fly from Tyes allowed Dunigan to score, pushing the Rangers to a 2-1 lead.
Kylie Frost extended the Northwest lead in the fifth, delivering a two-out double to left field. Kennedy made it a 4-1 advantage with a single to left, scoring Frost. Owen closed out the scoring with a groundout, allowing
Emma Jennings to cross the plate.
Northwest accounted for eight hits in the victory, led by four combined from Dunigan and Kennedy. Brown (5-1) pitched four complete frames, striking out two batters with no walks and only two base hits allowed.
Rogers tossed the final three innings for the Rangers, collecting a strikeout with no walks or runs given up.
Swilley was handed the loss for Holmes, lasting 4.2 frames and allowing four of the Rangers' five runs. Anne Elise Sartin pitched the final 2.1 innings, garnering two strikeouts and allowing a walk and an earned run.
Abbie McGee went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead the Lady Bulldogs, finishing with a double.
