Northwest Baseball Upsets No. 1 East Central in Conference Opener

Senatobia, Miss. – Northwest Mississippi Community College’s baseball team secured a 12-11 victory over top-ranked East Central Community College in the first game of a conference doubleheader Saturday at Jim Miles Field. The Rangers fell 14-10 in the second game.

In game one, Northwest overcame a 9-4 deficit to earn the win. The Rangers scored three runs in the first inning, including a two-run single from Barrett McKenney. East Central tied the game with two runs in the second and added three more in the third to lead 6-3. Caleb Doty hit his fourth home run in four games to cut the deficit to 6-4.

Preston Johnson pitched 4.2 innings of relief, allowing two runs with one earned run and earning the victory. The Rangers rallied in the sixth, with McKenney hitting a two-run homer and Mason McMillin adding a double to bring them within one. Northwest took the lead in the eighth with small ball, scoring on sacrifice flies from Josh Pena and Mason Gillentine, before South McCoy secured the win with a scoreless ninth inning. McCoy improved to 2-0 this season.

In game two, East Central jumped out to an 8-2 lead after three innings. The Warriors extended their advantage to 9-2 before Northwest responded with five runs in the fifth, highlighted by McMillin’s two-run homer and a home run from McCoy. Despite a late rally, the Rangers fell short, with East Central adding three runs in the sixth and two in the seventh to seal the victory.

Coach Mark Carson praised his team’s effort, noting the resilience shown in both games. He expressed disappointment about missing an opportunity to sweep, citing defensive lapses and limited hits in game two. The Rangers will travel Tuesday to face Itawamba Community College in a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m.

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