GADSDEN, AL – The Northwest Mississippi Community College softball team (6-6) took a pair of tough losses on the road against NJCAA Division I (RV) Gadsden State Community College (20-0), falling to the Cardinals 5-3 in the opening game of the double header before dropping the second game 5-0.
GAME 1 – NWCC 3 Gadsden State 5
Unearned runs would ultimately lead to the demise of the Rangers in the opener of their double header with Gadsden State.
After trading zeroes in the first inning, Northwest saw a pair of leadoff singles reach base in the bottom of the second. An error allowed for a pair of runs to score when a fly to right was mishandled, and another error on the next play scored another run for the Cardinals.
A sacrifice fly would add one more, and Catelyn Brown would get a strikeout and a flyout to end the damage, but four unearned runs would score in the inning.
Northwest answered with a single run in the top of the fifth inning after Emma Jennings grounded out to bring home Lilliana Kelley after she doubled to lead off the inning, only to see Gadsden answer with another unearned run in the bottom half after a fielder's choice led to an error on the infield.
The Rangers added single runs in the top of the sixth and the seventh innings, first on a single by Kelley that scored Carleigh Calarco and again on a Cates single that score Sela Mancini. They would leave five runners on in the two innings though and came up short in the 5-3 loss.
Brown finished with 6.0 innings of work while scattering only four hits and one walk during the game. She also had two strikeouts. All five runs were charged to her, but none of them were earned.
The Rangers had ten hits as a team in the game and only struck out twice but left seven on base in the game.
GAME 2 – NWCC 0 Gadsden State 5
Defense was the name of the game early in the second game of the double header with both sides throwing up zeroes in the first and second innings.
The first true threat came in the bottom of the third when Gadsden State used a single and a walk with one out to set up an RBI base hit to get on the scoreboard first and go up 1-0.
A pair of walks seemed to have the Rangers in business to answer in the top of the fourth, and a pair of singles did the same with one out in the fifth, but in both cases Northwest couldn't' come up with the key hit and failed to get on the board.
The Cardinals struck again in the bottom of the fifth when a leadoff walk was brought home on a two-out double to push the lead to 2-0. Meredith Dearman was able to get out without giving up any more damage despite the bases being loaded.
Another defensive miscue in the bottom of the sixth loaded the bases with one out and then three straight singles would score three more and the Cardinals would close out the 5-0 win in the top of the seventh, moving to 20-0 in the process.
Dearman finished with 6.0 innings of work, giving up five runs, but only three of them would be earned. She was able to work out of multiple jams, giving up eleven hits and four walks while striking out four in the game.
Up next for NWCC
The Rangers will return home for a double header with Calhoun Community College on Wednesday afternoon at 3 and 5 P.M. at the Ranger Softball Complex.
The week will continue with a single game on Thursday evening at 5 P.M. against Gadsden State before closing the week with their MACCC opener against #3 Jones College on Friday at 1 and 3 P.M.
The full scheduled for Northwest softball can be found at nwccrangers.com or by following along on Ranger social media accounts.
