Northwest Mississippi falls twice at Region 23 Tournament, out of NJCAA World Series contention

Wesson, Miss. — Northwest Mississippi Community College’s softball team was eliminated from the Region 23 Tournament after two losses on Saturday.

The No. 14-ranked Rangers fell 5-3 to No. 4 Copiah-Lincoln Community College in the semifinal and lost 9-7 to Southwest Mississippi Community College in an elimination game, according to tournament reports.

In the opener, Northwest struggled to contain Copiah-Lincoln early. The Wolves scored four runs in the first two innings. The Rangers responded with a two-run homer from Mancini in the third and a late rally in the seventh, but it was not enough. Dearman pitched the final two innings, keeping the Wolves off the board, but Northwest could not overcome the early deficit, falling 5-3.

In the second game, Northwest again fell behind early. Southwest Mississippi opened with a four-run first inning, including a two-run homer. The Rangers rallied in the fourth and seventh innings, but the Bears held on for a 9-7 victory. Northwest’s Jennings hit her second homer of the season in the seventh, and Kelley and Gillis added late home runs, but it was not enough to force extra innings.

The team now awaits the decision from the selection committee on whether they will receive an at-large bid to the 2026 NJCAA Division II World Series in Spartanburg, South Carolina, scheduled to be announced early next week.

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