SENATOBIA – The Northwest Mississippi Community College softball team (9-7) went toe to toe with Gadsden State Community College (20-0, NJCAA DI) on Thursday afternoon at the Ranger Softball Field, falling in extra innings to the Cardinals 5-4, never trailing until the ninth inning and not falling off until the tenth.
Northwest, who had just come back from a road trip to Gadsden State on Tuesday where they had fallen in a pair of games with the Cardinals, came out and struck first in the bottom of the opening inning when back-to-back doubles from Mary Madison Kelley and Lillianna Cates gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead.
Gadsden would answer back in the top of the second with a passed ball bringing home a run after a one-out triple set the table for the visitors to tie it at one.
Handley McAtee didn't wait long to help answer back, driving a solo homerun over the left field fence to give Northwest a 2-1 lead that would hold until the top of the fourth inning when the Cardinals picked up an equalizer on a two-out single that brought up a run.
Tied at two, Northwest again went back to work in the bottom of the fifth inning. This time, a two-out rally was started with Ava Clair Rhoden reaching first on an error before moving up on a passed ball and scoring on a single by Cates.
Gadsden against answered in the top of the sixth, platting their third run when an error by McAtee with two outs allowed for a run after a leadoff double set the scene.
Zeros followed for both sides for the next three innings, taking the game to the top of the ninth where the Cardinals picked up another two-out RBI when a single to left brought home the go-ahead run.
The Rangers would load the bases in the bottom of the ninth with just one out and a fielder's choice by Kelley brought home Aubrey Massing to even the game. The bases would be reloaded on a walk to Cates, but Carleigh Calarco struck out and the walkoff was denied to Northwest.
A leadoff homer in the top of the tenth would make the Rangers pay for not taking advantage in the bottom of the ninth, moving it to a 5-4 Cardinals lead, and after going 1-2-3 in the bottom of the tenth, Northwest would bow out of the classic, falling to 9-8 on the year in the final touch up before conference play begins.
Northwest used the game as a chance to really go deep into the bullpen, using four pitchers with Kate Johnson leading off, going 4.1 innings of two run ball, scattering four hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts.
Catelyn Brown followed for two full innings, giving up just one unearned run before giving way to Meredith Dearman who pitched three innings of one run ball, striking out three and giving up three hits.
The loss went to Sydney Henderson, her first of the year, going 0.2 innings and allowing just the one run on one hit.
Up Next –
Northwest leaves the non-conference schedule behind as they begin MACCC play on Friday afternoon with a battle against #3 Jones College on the docket at the Ranger Softball Field. First pitch of game one is set for 1 P.M. with game two set to follow at 3.
The game will be streamed online at nwccrangers.com/watch.
Keep up to date with Ranger softball at nwccrangers.com or by following along on Northwest social media accounts.
