By: Caleb Burggraaf
SENATOBIA – After a tough 10-2 loss in their opening game of Tuesday's double header against Northeast Mississippi Community College (21-20, 8-8) at Jim Miles Field, the #20 Northwest Mississippi Community College baseball team (24-13, 11-5) was able to bounce back to split the series, downing the Tigers 8-2 in the nightcap to remain in a tie for third in the MACCC standings with #4 East Central Community College (34-8, 11-5) after the dust settled on the mid-week action wrapped up.
While the Rangers did pick up a win, Head Coach Mark Carson said he felt they left one on the table after the night wrapped up.
"The first one was embarrassing," said Carson, who is in his 21st year at the helm of the program. "That was the least prepared I think we were all year. And I will shoulder every bit of responsibility for that. We took some time off over the weekend and the last couple days of practice to me was like pulling teeth, and you could see it. It was embarrassing on my part that I can't have us more prepared to play than I did. I'll wear that and I'll do a better job of that. We just didn't come ready to play baseball today and you can't do that against a good team."
GAME 1 – #20 NWCC 2 Northeast Mississippi 10
The game opened with a pair of blows delivered by each offense against the opening starters, with a home run by Northeast's Connor McKnatt being answered in the bottom half of the inning when the Rangers used a leadoff double by Mason Gillentine to tie the game back at one going into the second inning.
On the mound for the Rangers, Darrin Randle was about to settle in, retiring the Tigers in order in the second inning, and only gave up one more blemish in the run column when a hit batter was brought home on an RBI single from Brett Haas to give the lead back to the Tigers in the top of the third inning.
Randle finished the game by going five innings, striking out nine batters in the game for a new career high, including striking out the side in the top of the fourth inning after a pair of hit batters and a walk loaded the bases with no outs.
The freshman from Lake Cormorant threw 112 pitches in the game and only gave up two hits but was bitten by four walks and five hit batters that shortened his outing, but his ability to not give in to tough situations impressed Carson.
"If he will eliminate his walks, he is going to be a special player, but he's just got to eliminate that part of the game," Carson said. "He pitched us out of some big jams, and they probably should have had more of a lead when he left the game, but to his credit he did a great job of controlling that part and giving us a chance."
Offensively, Northwest was never able to break through despite several chances too. The Rangers had runners on in every one of the first four innings but couldn't find a way to shake the Tigers starter who pitched into the seventh inning, only leaving after a solo home run from South McCoy chased him from the game with a 3-2 lead.
Things went a bit sideways for the Rangers in the top of the eighth inning when Tyler Sullivan, who had come in the sixth inning, got touched up for four hits in the first five batters of the frame, giving up a pair of home runs and eventually being pulled after giving up six runs to Northeast.
John Griffin Lane entered to close the inning but gave up another run and the Rangers left the inning with the game going from a one run deficit to a 10-2 difference with Northeast in control.
While the Rangers threatened in the bottom of the eighth, nothing would come from a pair of singles, and they went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth as they dropped back-to-back conference games for the first time all season.
GAME 2 - #20 NWCC 8 Northeast Mississippi 2
After some between game adjustments, the Rangers came out with different mindset in the second game, jumping out to a 7-1 lead in the first two innings and chasing the Tigers starter from the game after he faced just ten batters.
The offense began in the bottom of the first when Hallas Lawson and Evan Lightsey reached on a double and a single with one out to put runners on the corners. Mason McMillin drove in Lawson on an RBI ground out and McCoy doubled home Lightsey to give the Rangers a 2-0 edge.
Northeast picked up a run to answer in the top of the second inning on a solo home run, but the Rangers didn't that that slow them down, rolling up five runs in the bottom of the second inning, starting with a two-run double from Gillentine to score Walker Sanders and John Whit Snopek, and another when Lawson singled home Gillentine on the next at-bat.
McMillin put a cap on the scoring in the inning by hitting a line drive home run to right field that just stayed inside of the foul pole to make it 7-1. It was the sophomore's team leading 11th home run of the season and broke a seven-game drought without a home run for him on the season.
That was all the offense that Caleb Doty would need, as the Rangers starter would end up going six innings, only giving up two runs on five hits and striking out six on the way to his fourth win of the season.
Doty said the early support from the offense allows him to relax and just go throw.
"If feels amazing. I'm just trying to eat innings for the guys and not let them score. Even when they got that big hit in the second inning, I really didn't care that much because I knew we would score in the next inning."
The Rangers picked up another run in the bottom of the third when McKenney sent one out to deep left field that just had enough help from the wind to get out of the park to make it 8-2, answering an RBI single by the Tigers in the top half.
Neither team would score the rest of the way as the bullpens did their part to shut down the offense, and McCoy would enter the game in the top of the seventh to pitch for Northwest, stranding a pair of runners while striking out two on the way to closing out the win.
Carson said while it wasn't the end result, he wanted at home, the way it was a team win in game two was a positive end to the day.
"They rebounded and you got another great performance from Caleb Doty who's been so consistent for us," he said. "We scored early and that took them out of the game early and the rest of the way, they kind of did what we did in game one."
"I'm not happy with a split at home," Carson continued. "I thought we had a chance to come in here and sweep today and really get going towards another big game with Hinds this weekend and we didn't do it, and like I said, that's my fault, but that' just the way it is sometimes."
UP NEXT –
Northwest will be at home for another big conference double header when they host Hinds Community College (25-14, 11-7) in a pivotal battle with Northwest just one spot above the Eagles in the conference standings.
Keep up with the Northwest schedule by visiting nwccrangers.com or by following along with Ranger social media accounts.
