SENATOBIA – Defense was the name of the game in a double header on Wednesday evening between Northwest Mississippi Community College (12-9, 4-2) as they split with #11 Itawamba Community College (24-6, 6-2), picking up an impressive 2-1 win in game one before falling 3-1 in the second game.
"It's always good to win the first one, but I think sometimes we get a little too comfortable, but ICC is a good team, they are #11 for a reason. It's just a matter of us getting timely hits, a little bit better pitching here and there and it's a whole different ball game."
The split in a second conference series against a ranked team is one that sophomore Carleigh Calarco said is continuing to breed confidence in the team.
"It feels great, especially to take down a team that is ranked when we're not. It really just shows that we deserve to be here and not to underestimate us."
GAME 1 – NWCC 2 #11 Itawamba 1
The Rangers went to Catelyn Brown to kick off game one against Itawamba, and the sophomore put out her best performance, going head to head with Ramsey Montgomery and out dueling her over seven innings of one run ball, only giving up a single unearned run in the top of the third inning, and only giving up three hits to the Indians.
"We've been struggling with the bats a little bit, so just having that confidence in the circle that (Catelyn) is going to keep it in the low range is very comforting," sophomore shortstop Carleigh Calarco said.
Offensively, the Rangers also had trouble against the Itawamba ace. NWCC didn't get their first baserunner until a two-out double from Londen Armstrong in the third inning and not cracking the scoreboard until the bottom of the sixth.
Down 1-0, Northwest went to the plate with Ava Claire Rhoden and the top of the order leading off, and after an opening single for Rhoden, Lillianna Cates would also reach on a single, and a two out double in a full count from Calarco would give the Rangers their first lead of the game.
"I went up to just focus on each pitch and tried not to chase or press and just trying to pass the bat and I ended up with a full count and got something I could barrel but at the end of the day it's a team win," Calarco said.
Brown worked a 1-2-3 seventh inning with a ground out and two fly outs to pick up her third win of the season, improving to 3-5 on the year and dropping her ERA to 3.96 with 65.1 innings under her belt this season.
"We prepped (Catelyn) a lot this week and she was hitting spots and she was doing a good job keeping them off balance and I was really proud of her," Head Coach Chelsea Bramlett said.
GAME 2 – NWCC 1 #11 Itawamba 3
Another narrow margin was left on the scoreboard as Meredith Dearman and Lizzie Meeks went toe-to-toe in another thriller as both teams only combined for nine hits in the game.
The opening salvo went to the Rangers in the bottom of the second inning when Armstrong led off the inning with a walk after a full count. She then proceeded to steal both second and third base before an RBI single from Rhoden put the Rangers up 1-0.
Itawamba answered back with solo runs in the next two innings, getting a two-out RBI double in the top of the third and picking up an RBI single in the fourth after the leadoff batter got on base both innings.
Down 2-1, Northwest couldn't answer on the offensive side as Meeks set down the next eight Rangers in order after they scored their run, and northwest would only manage two hits and five baserunners the rest of the game.
An insurance run would be added on for ICC in the top of the sixth inning when another two-out single for Itawamba made it 3-1.
The Rangers did threaten in the bottom of the seventh with a chance to tie when Rhoden and Cates reached with two outs, but a batters interference call on a steal attempt would end the game, and the Rangers would fall 3-1.
The loss went to Dearman, despite another complete game effort for her eighth of the season despite only allowing five hits and three walks.
"We are doing good, but we have to get timely hits," Bramlett said. "They got timely hits in game two and we didn't and we have to be able to do it in the hard times and we are just falling a little bit short."
UP NEXT –
The Northwest Rangers will be hosting Meridian Community College (RV) (18-15, 4-4) on Saturday afternoon at the Ranger Softball Fields with first pitch scheduled for 1 P.M. and the second game to follow at 3 P.M.
It's another tough test for the Rangers, and Bramlett said facing ranked teams or teams receiving votes is what is expected when you get to conference play in the MACCC.
"Honestly, in our conference, there aren't any easy games. Period. Right now we have five or six in the top 25. We know we have to play every single game.
Keep up with streaming information and more by following along with Northwest social media accounts or see the full schedule and more at nwccrangers.com.
