BOONEVILLE - Though Northwest dropped Tuesday's opener at Northeast by a 5-4 decision, the Rangers clobbered out 18 base hits in the nightcap and earned a 19-3 victory against the Tigers in a six-inning run-rule.

Levi Lang and Walker Maranto went 2-for-4 at the plate in Game 1, with Maranto sending a homer to left center in the eighth inning. Lake Reed also finished with a solo homer that gave Northwest the lead in the top of the second.

Connor McCaslin (4-1) went the distance on the mound for the Rangers, garnering a career-high 10 strikeouts with no walks allowed.

Northwest wasted no time jumping on Northeast early in the finale, as the Rangers plated five runs in the top of the first and three more in the second. The game really broke open in the bottom of the sixth inning, when Northwest sent eight runs across the plate.

With a total of 18 base hits in the victory, the Rangers notched their second-highest hit total of the year behind 20 hits in the season-opener against Bevill State. Rob Hayes and John Whit Snopek collected three base hits apiece, with Snopek also finishing with two doubles and two RBIs at the top of the batting order. Additionally, Mason Gillentine and Mason McMillin finished with one home run each.

McClain Ray pitched 3.2 frames in a starting effort for Northwest, garnering six strikeouts against four walks and three earned runs. Brady Stinnett was awarded the win in relief, tossing a strikeout against two walks in 1.1 scoreless frames, while Jace Robinson also tossed a scoreless frame with three strikeouts.

With the split, the Rangers moved to 23-12 on the season and 6-8 in the MACCC, while the Tigers moved to 22-16 overall and 9-5 in conference play. Northwest is scheduled to return to Jim Miles Field on Saturday, April 5 against Southwest Mississippi (weather permitting).


Game 1 - Northeast 5, Northwest 4

A 1-0 lead was evaporated by five Northeast runs and the comeback fell just short for Northwest down the stretch.

Reed got the scoring started with a solo home run to left field in the top of the second, but the Tigers responded with a run off an error in the bottom half of the inning. Layth Holiday then gave Northeast a 2-1 lead with a sacrifice fly to left field in the same half-inning.

In the third, Cooper Davis blasted a two-run homer to left field, pushing the Tigers' lead to 4-1. Northeast added to its lead in the fourth inning, thanks to a single and an error in Kieran Coleman's at-bat.

From there, McCaslin settled in, keeping the Tigers off the board for the next four innings. That allowed the Rangers to slowly build a comeback, beginning with RBI base hits from Hayes and Hallas Lawson in the seventh, followed by Maranto's homer to left center in the eighth.

However, the comeback fell short for Northwest, as the Rangers were retired in order in the top of the ninth.

Despite the loss, Northwest outmatched Northeast in the hits' column, finishing with eight. Lang and Maranto finished with two apiece, accounting for half of the Rangers' hits.

Meanwhile, Northeast was held to just five hits, with Coleman and Trae Cagle combining for four base hits. 

Although he took the loss on the mound for Northwest, McCaslin struck out 10 batters against three earned runs and five base hits in a complete-game outing. Samuel Curtis (3-0) picked up the win for the Tigers, collecting 10 strikeouts against two walks and three earned runs in 6.2 frames.

Additionally, Connor Montgomery collected his fifth save of the season with a strikeout and no runs allowed in the ninth inning.


Game 2 - Northwest 19, Northeast 3 (6 inn.)

Northwest hammered out five runs on six hits in the first inning and the rout was on from there, as the Rangers picked up the run-rule win against Northeast.

M.J. Parimore (3-4) lasted less than inning on the mound for the Tigers, giving up all five first inning runs. The inning began with a double from Snopek, followed by base hits from Gillentine and McMillin. An error allowed Gillentine to score from a stolen third base, pushing the Northwest lead to 2-0.

Lang then added a run with his double down the left field line, scoring McMillin and a two-run single from Hayes brought the Rangers to a 5-0 advantage. Northeast then made a pitching change and Jackson Mayer stopped the bleeding by getting the final two outs of the inning.

Although the Tigers got a run back in the bottom of the first, it did little to stunt the momentum from Northwest. With two runners on base, Tyler Sullivan roped a single to left field, scoring Lang and Maranto. Hayes then delivered a single to right center, scoring Sullivan and widening the gap to 8-1.

Andrew Davis helped keep Northeast in striking distance with his two-run homer in the bottom of the second, but the Rangers answered with a solo homer from Gillentine in the top of the third, bringing the Northwest lead to a 9-3 margin.

In the top of the fifth, the Rangers tacked on another pair of runs, thanks to a single up the middle from Hayes and an RBI-double to left field from Snopek. The Tigers tried to answer back in the home half of the fifth, but left a pair of runners stranded.

Things went completely off the rails for Northeast in the top of the sixth, as Northwest sent eight runs across the plate. Lang started the inning with a single to left center and Reed doubled to the same spot, allowing Lang to score. After Reed scored on a wild pitch, Maranto crossed the plate on a groundout from Sullivan, moving the Rangers' lead to 14-3.

Later in the inning, Snopek singled up the middle to bring in Tatum Turner and Meyer Maddox drew a walk to load the bases. That set up McMillin's grand slam to right center that pushed Northwest to the 19-3 advantage.

Robinson then came on in relief of Stinnett in the bottom of the sixth, striking out all three Northeast batters, ending the game by run-rule.

Hayes and Snopek finished with three base hits apiece in the win and eight of the Rangers' 18 base hits went for extra bases. Meanwhile, the Tigers were held to just three base hits, with Davis' home run being the lone highlight.

Northeast also used six pitchers in the game, Mayer lasting the longest at 3.2 frames. All 19 runs allowed by the Tigers' pitching staff were earned. Read Full Article