SENATOBIA - Needing a clutch base hit in extra innings of Friday's doubleheader against Hinds, sophomore Addison Owen answered the call for Northwest.

With two outs and runners on second and third in the ninth inning of Game 2, Owen stepped to the plate with an 0-for-4 stat line against the Lady Eagles. Down to her final strike, Owen popped a single to shallow right field, where it fell between the second baseman and right fielder. Carleigh Calarco came around to score the tying run and Thenya Kennedy hustled to home plate for the winning run, as the ninth-ranked Rangers downed Hinds by a 7-6 final.

Helping Northwest pick up the win in the circle was sophomore ace Morgen Brewton, who pitched the final two innings in relief of Abby Rogers and starter Catelyn Brown. The Mobile, Ala. native hurled 115 pitches in a 5-0 win in Game 1, and tossed 42 pitches with six strikeouts in the finale, earning two victories on the afternoon.

At the plate, the Rangers combined for 14 base hits, with nine of those coming in the second game. Ellie Fryar and Sommer Tyes homered in the finale, while Calarco and Carly Dunigan each finished with a double.

Fryar went 2-for-4 at the top of the Northwest order in the opener, with Calarco finishing with a double and Tyes collecting another home run. 

With the sweep, Northwest improved to 27-5 overall, matching last season's win total. The Rangers are also 8-4 in the MACCC, as Hinds dropped to 11-16 on the season and 4-8 in conference play.

Next up for Northwest is a massive doubleheader against 12th-ranked Northeast, now scheduled for Tuesday, April 1 at 3/5 P.M. The Lady Tigers (31-3, 12-2 MACCC) are on a four-game winning streak following sweeps against Itawamba and Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Tuesday's games will be carried on Ranger TV. 



Game 1 - #9 Northwest 5, Hinds 0

Despite being held scoreless over the final three innings of play, Northwest picked up all of its runs early, including a three-run frame in the third, leading to the 5-0 victory.

Fryar led off the bottom of the first with a single through the left side, later stealing second base. After Owen popped out to center field, Fryar moved to third and scored off Dunigan's groundout to second.

Hinds retired the first two Ranger batters in the bottom of the second, but a walk to Marleigh Mancini paved the way for Calarco's double to left field, pushing the lead to 2-0.

In the bottom of the third, Owen reached base on a walk and Dunigan singled to right field. That's when Tyes broke the game open with a three-run bomb to center field, giving Northwest a 5-0 advantage.

After Kaylee Chandler took over in relief of Hinds' starter Ava Armentor, the Rangers went scoreless the rest of the way. However, Brewton (14-2) also did her part, keeping the Lady Eagles off the board for seven innings, garnering seven strikeouts in the process.

Armentor (0-4) was handed the loss for Hinds, allowing all five Northwest runs with two walks issued. The Lady Eagles scattered all three of their hits through the lineup, with none being for extra bases.


Game 2 - #9 Northwest 7, Hinds 6 (9 inn.)

Trailing 5-4 entering the seventh inning, Fryar scored the tying run to send the game to extra innings, eventually resulting in a 7-6 win for Northwest.

Tyes led off the bottom of the second inning with a solo home run to center field and Calarco followed with a double to right-center, pushing the lead to 2-0. Kennedy closed out the scoring with a single to the shortstop, allowing Calarco to score for the 3-0 advantage.

However, Hinds wasted no time in responding, leading off the top of the third with a single to center from Abby Smith. Destiny Crosby followed with a triple to right-center, pulling the Lady Eagles within 3-1.

After Rogers entered in relief of Brown, Melissa Lopera sent an RBI-single up the middle, cutting the lead down to 3-2. However, the Lady Eagles left two runners stranded to end the third inning.

Northwest held on to its 3-2 lead until the top of the fifth, when Crosby led off the inning with a double down the left field line. Lopera then delivered a single to center and Maddie Bruner followed with a three-run homer to left field, giving Hinds the 5-3 advantage.

Fryar responded with a two-out solo homer in the bottom of the fifth, bringing the Rangers back within 5-4. It would take Fryar's efforts in the bottom of the seventh to help extend the game, as both teams entered extra innings in a 5-5 deadlock.

Though the Lady Eagles put a runner on base in the eighth, Brewton delivered three strikeouts to keep Hinds scoreless. On the flip side, Northwest was retired in the bottom of the eighth by Emily Vicknair, keeping the game tied.

Smith led off the ninth with a single through the left side and Bruner's double to left-center allowed the go-ahead run to score. Northwest was quickly forced into two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but Calarco reached base on an error by the shortstop. Kennedy followed with a single to third base and Fryar reached on a walk to load the bases, setting up Owen's walk-off winner.

Brewton improved to 15-2 in the circle, earning six strikeouts in two innings of relief. Brown tossed the first two innings of the game, allowing two earned runs against a strikeout, while Rogers pitched five full frames, striking out three batters against three earned runs.

Calarco, Fryar and Kennedy each accounted for two base hits, while Lopera went 3-for-5 at the top of the order to lead the Lady Eagles' 11 base hits.

Vicknair (3-3) pitched a gritty complete game effort for Hinds, striking out three batters against two walks and three earned runs.  Read Full Article