DECATUR — Northwest Mississippi Community College’s baseball team secured its spot in the Region 23 and Gulf District Championship Series with an 8-5 extra-innings win over East Central Community College on Saturday night, according to school officials.
The Rangers (34-19) relied on a strong pitching performance from sophomore starter Eli Deberry, who pitched six innings, allowing four runs — two earned — and kept East Central hitless through the first three innings. The Warriors scored their only run in the third inning following a walk, an error, and a wild pitch, which advanced a runner to third and scored him.
Northwest responded with a rally in the bottom of the inning. A single and two walks set the stage for Evan Lightsey, who hit a three-run homer to give the Rangers a 4-1 lead. John Whit Snopek then hit back-to-back home runs, extending the lead to 5-1. Deberry continued to pitch effectively, but an error and a double in the seventh allowed East Central to close the gap to 5-4 before relievers shut down the Warriors.
South McCoy, a freshman, closed out the game for Northwest, striking out the only batter he faced in the seventh and working through extra innings. In the top of the ninth, East Central tied the game at five on an RBI single but was unable to take the lead, as an attempted go-ahead run was thrown out at the plate.
In the bottom of the tenth, Northwest capitalized on a leadoff error, with Mason Gillentine scoring on a wild pitch and a passed ball. Walker Sanders then scored on a fielder’s choice, giving the Rangers a 6-5 lead. Preston Johnson added two insurance runs with a two-out single, sealing the victory. McCoy retired the Warriors in order in the bottom of the frame to secure the win.
Northwest has previously appeared in the championship series twice since 2021 but has not won the title. The team will travel to Jones College on May 13 for the best-of-three series, with games scheduled through May 15 if necessary. Fans can follow updates at nwccrangers.com or on the team’s social media accounts.
