SENATOBIA – After dropping a double-header on the road on Tuesday, the Northwest Mississippi Community College softball team (8-6) kept their record above .500 and picked up a pair of wins against a NJCAA DI opponent sweeping Calhoun Community College (14-10) at the Ranger Softball Field on Wednesday evening in a pair of thrilling wins over the Warhawks on Wednesday evening.
"I think it was good to get it off our backs and get back into the groove of what we are known for, what Northwest softball is known for. I was proud of them for battling back, going through those first few tough innings and coming back to do what they were supposed to do," Head Coach Chelsea Bramlett said.
GAME 1 – NWCC 6 Calhoun 5
The Northwest offense found themselves in an early hole when the Warhawks plated a pair of runs in the top of the first inning, using a fielder's choice and three singles made it 2-0 before Catelyn Brown was able to settle things down.
It wasn't long before the Rangers answered back. It only took three batters to load the bases and after Carleigh Calarco was hit by a pitch to bring in the first run, Northwest tied the game on an error and plated two on an RBI double from Emma Jennings.
The scoring would end on a sacrifice fly from Londen Armstrong to make it 5-2 in a game that gave early impressions it would turn into an offensive showcase.
Another run for Calhoun in the top of the first kept that sentiment going when a lead off triple was brought home on an RBI groundout to make it 5-3, but that was the last time either team would score until the top of the sixth inning.
Brown ran into some trouble when a lead off double was followed by a single and a bunt base hit to load the bases, and a double to center field would tie the game at five. The only saving grace on the play for the Rangers was on a play at the plate where the trail runner was thrown out on a relay from Jennings through Mary Madison Kelley to Lindsey Gillis for the out to keep the game tied at five.
Northwest got a pair on in the bottom of the sixth with one out but left them stranded with Rhoden ended the inning with a groundout to first.
Meredith Dearman would come in to pitch for Northwest, and set down Calhoun without any issues, and after putting runners on second and third with two outs, Gillis would come through with the clutch hit to bring home Aubrey Massing and give the Rangers their seventh win of the season 6-5 in walk-off fashion.
The win would go to Dearman in relief for her fifth win of the season.
GAME 2 – NWCC 6 Calhoun 3
The Rangers took their momentum from game one and immediately put pressure on to the Warhawks, loading the bases in the opening frame, and while they didn't score, that did set a precedent for what they would do as the game continued.
Calhoun also learned though, and for the second straight game were able to strike first, getting a one out single to plate their opening run in the top of the second after loading the bases.
Northwest answered with a run in the bottom of the second after loading the bases for the second straight inning but again left opportunities out there with a groundout to end the inning.
The Warhawks took advantage of that in the next inning as they once more leapfrogged the Rangers with a pair of RBI singles in the top of the third after getting runners on the corners with none out.
Down 3-1, Northwest tried to keep the pressure up on the bases, but saw the opposite happen. In the bottom of the third, fourth, and fifth innings, the Rangers went 1-2-3 and entered the bottom of the sixth down by the same score.
The sixth inning opened with a popout but then the Rangers went to work, loading the bases with singles from McAtee, A Dearman pinch hit, and Jennings. After a lineout by Armstrong to second, Allyson Christmas came up with two outs and after going up 3-1 in the count, doubled to left field to clear the bases and give the Rangers a 4-3 lead, their first of the game.
"Coach told me to take until I got a strike and the next one I was like, 'I'm going to blow it past her', and that's what I did. No thoughts, I just swung and blew it right past her," said Christmas adding that it was nice to bounce back from a difficult day on Tuesday for her individually.
"It really felt good," Christmas said. "Yesterday I had a really tough day, and I had to sit on it and just know that I can play ball, and it got me here."
Two more runs would score on singles by Kelley and Cates with the final out on a play at third base to cut down Kelley as the trail runner.
Dearman was dominant in the final frame, picking up a pair of groundouts before striking out the final batter to pick up the win, moving to 6-2 on the year with her second win of the day.
"(Dearman) is having her ups and downs but I think the last two or three inning that we had, we started to see a little bit more of her. I think she has started to get a little more comfortable so hopefully we see that for the rest of the season," Bramlett said.
Up Next –
The Rangers will be back at home with a second chance at Gadsden State Community College (20-0). The Rangers dropped a double header on the road with the Cardinals on Tuesday, falling 5-0 and 5-4 to the NJCAA DI opponent.
The game is set for 5 pm from the Ranger Softball Field and streaming will be found at nwccrangers.com/watch.
Follow along with all of the updates and news from Ranger softball at nwccrangers.com or follow along on Northwest social media accounts.
