DECATUR – The Northwest Mississippi Community College softball team (11-8, 3-1) picked up two more wins in their conference season with a sweep of East Central Community College (15-10, 2-4) on Saturday afternoon, taking down the Warriors 4-2 in the opening game before taking game two 4-3 in nine innings.
"I was proud of the fight and energy today," Head Coach Chelsea Bramlett said. "Even when some calls didn't go our way, they still kept going and didn't give in. Dearman was a force today on the mound in both games and Handley McAtee came in clutch in the ninth inning to score Rhoden. We're really playing well as a team right now and just getting our jobs done."
GAME 1 – NWCC 4 East Central 2
The Rangers and Warriors traded zeros in the opening two innings with Meredith Dearman throwing bullets for NWCC on the way to four strikeouts of the first six batters all while facing the minimum.
The offense got going in the top of the third when an Ava Claire Rhoden leadoff single was followed by a one out walk to Lillianna Cates and McAtee picked up both in the next at bat with a double to center field.
Northwest finished the inning up 2-0 and added a third run in the top of the fourth on a Rhoden RBI single that plated Sela Mancini.
East Central found their only runs of the game in the bottom of the fourth to close the gap to a 3-2 game thanks to a passed ball that brought home the opening run and a two-out RBI single.
Dearman struck out three of the next four batters to quiet the Warriors and Mary Madison Kelley came up clutch in the top of the sixth with an RBI double to plate Londen Armstrong with two outs.
The Rangers had to work around traffic on the bases in the sixth and seventh innings with ECCC putting two runners on in both frames, but Dearman would pick up another four strikeouts on the way to 12 in the game and picked up her seventh win of the season with the 4-2 complete game victory.
GAME 2 – NWCC 4 East Central 3 (9 Innings)
Northwest got off to a quick start with a two-out RBI single from Carleigh Calarco brought home Cates in the first inning to put the Rangers out front.
Catelyn Brown was strong in the circle to start things, working around a bases loaded jam in the first before retiring the side in order in the second inning.
NWCC brought home another pair of runs in the third inning when Cates picked an RBI double to bring home Rhoden and Calarco followed with a single to left with two outs to bring home Cates for her second run of the game.
East Central found their first runs of the second game on a quick strike with a leadoff double leading into a two-run home run that cut the Ranger lead to 3-2. One more would follow in the bottom of the fifth on a two-out RBI double to right field.
The next three innings would see the two teams trade zeros. Northwest would relieve Brown in favor of Dearman in the seventh inning, and the Ranger starter from game one would add another six strikeouts on the day and keeping the Warriors place.
It all set up McAtee for another clutch moment in the top of the ninth and the Ranger third basemen picked up Rhoden with another RBI single with two outs to give NWCC the lead back going into the bottom of the inning.
Dearman struck out two around a pair of walks on the way to picking up the win in relief for her eighth of the season, spelling Brown who would go six innings only allowing three runs.
UP NEXT –
The Rangers will be back at home on Wednesday afternoon when they host #11 Itawamba Community College at the Ranger Softball Field. First pitch of game one is set for 3 P.M. with the second game to follow about thirty minutes after.
The game will be streamed online at nwccrangers.com/watch and you can keep up with the Ranger softball schedule and news by following Northwest social media accounts.
