SPARTANBURG, S.C. – It wasn't easy, but the 13th-seeded Northwest Mississippi Community College softball team (28-19) picked up a 1-0 walk-off win in their opening game at the 2026 NJCAA Division II Softball World Series, taking down #20 Cecil College (23-11) in a thriller that was keyed by a dominant performance in the circle by freshman Meredith Dearman.
"That's got to be one of the best performances I've seen from a pitcher, period. The way she handled herself and, of course, we finally got that clutch hit, and I'm proud of them," Head Coach Chelsea Bramlett said. "Now we have the jitters out a little bit, so on to the next one."
Both teams were able to get some early traffic on the bases, but both Dearman and her counterpart, Taylor Stapleford, were able to work out of jams with runners in scoring position in the first inning.
For the Rangers, that would set a trend offensively, putting runners on base in nearly every inning with seven total hits in the game to go with three walks and two errors made by the Seahawks, keeping the pressure on.
"We were doing well and getting on their pitcher. We just were stringing things together. I'm really proud of them for sticking to it," Bramlett said.
It seemed like they would break through in the third when a wild pitch moved Ava Claire Rhoden and Lillianna Cates up to second and third with one out, but a pair of popouts would help the Seahawks out of the pickle.
They would load the bases in the bottom of the fifth, but again, would be left hungry for the opening run of the game with a fly out to right field, stranding Rhoden at third again.
In the circle, Dearman was the rock they were able to rely on as the Enterprise native was nearly untouchable during her outing, giving up a pair of hits in the top of the first inning before striking out a batter to get out untouched.
That led to a run of 19 straight batters retired by Dearman, who didn't give up a baserunner for the rest of the game, and had a stretch where she had 11 consecutive strikeouts from the top of the third inning to the middle of the fifth. That was a part of 16 strikeouts in the game for Dearman, which was a new career high coming on the biggest stage.
Northwest made her work pay off in the bottom of the seventh when Aubrey Massing was able to draw a leadoff walk to get the wheels in motion, and she said that was all she was looking to do in the moment.
"I just looked to get on base; however, whichever way, just get on base knowing that my teammates and the top of the order were behind me. I knew they would bring me home no matter what," Massing said.
She was moved up to third on an error and a single, setting up Sela Mancini with the opportunity for a walk-off.
Mancini worked it to a 2-0 count before grounding a ball past the third baseman into left field to bring home Massing with the only run of the game and move the Rangers on to the second round of the World Series.
Massing, who hasn't been a regular starter this season, said she knew there was a good chance she would be leaned on during this week for the Rangers, and was proud to be able to come through.
"I had to remember that my coaches trust me, and they are going to make the best decision, and if they give me the opportunity, I'm going to take it with everything in me and do it to my full potential," Massing said.
The win was the 20th of the season for Dearman, improving her to 20-7 overall on the year, and was her third complete game shutout of the season. She now has 167 strikeouts on the year and dropped her ERA to 3.02 in 155.1 innings of work.
"She was unbelievable," Massing said. "Watching her grow this year has been the most incredible thing, from being a freshman to really taking charge and taking over, and now she really is a leader in that circle, and I'm so proud of her."
Northwest now prepares for a battle with #4 Rock Valley College later this afternoon in a second-round game with a day off on the line. First pitch of that game is set for 4:00 PM ET/3:00 PM CT with streaming information available on nwccrangers.com.
Keep up with updates, photos, and more from the Rangers at the World Series by following along with Northwest social media accounts.
