The Northwest Mississippi Community College baseball team, ranked 24th nationally, earned two wins over Mississippi Delta Community College on Wednesday at Jim Miles Field. The victories marked the 600th and 601st wins of head coach Mark Carson’s career, according to school officials.
The first game was an 18-6 rout, with Northwest scoring 17 runs in the final three innings. The second game was a closer 5-2 win, helping the Rangers stay in contention for the second host site in the Region 23 playoffs, as noted by Carson.
In Game 1, Northwest opened with a pitcher’s duel. Derran Randle faced Carson Allen, with the Trojans holding a 2-1 lead after three innings. The Rangers responded with a big offensive burst in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by a two-run single from Lake Reed and a bases-loaded walk from Mason Gillentine. The team scored nine runs in that inning and added nine more over the next three innings to secure the victory. Mason Johnson went 3-for-3 with six RBIs, and Mason McMillin finished 3-for-5 with three runs scored, according to game statistics.
In Game 2, Northwest took an early 5-0 lead in the first three innings. Johnson hit a solo homer in the second, and the team scored twice in the first and third innings. Caleb Doty pitched six innings, allowing just one run, to earn the win, while closer McCoy finished the game without allowing a run despite a late-inning jam, the team said.
Coach Carson praised his team’s effort, noting the importance of the sweep for their playoff positioning. The team will host top-ranked Pearl River Community College on Saturday for a doubleheader, with postseason seeding at stake. Northwest is tied for second in the conference standings with Jones College, with four teams within two games vying for playoff positioning, officials added.
