The Northwest Mississippi Community College softball team extended its conference winning streak Saturday, sweeping East Central Community College in a doubleheader. The Rangers improved to 3-1 in MACCC play with a 4-2 win in the first game and a 4-3 victory in nine innings in the second.
In the opener, pitcher Meredith Dearman threw a complete game, striking out 12 batters and earning her seventh win of the season. The Rangers scored three runs over the first four innings, helped by key hits from Ava Claire Rhoden and Lillianna Cates. East Central scored twice in the bottom of the fourth but couldn’t overcome Dearman’s dominant performance, according to coach Chelsea Bramlett.
Game two featured a back-and-forth battle that went into extras. NWCC took an early lead with RBI singles from Cates and Rhoden. East Central responded with a two-run homer and an RBI double, tying the game at 3-3 in the fifth. Catelyn Brown started on the mound for NWCC, but Dearman relieved her in the seventh, finishing with six strikeouts. In the ninth, third baseman Handley McAtee delivered a clutch two-out RBI single to secure the win, as Dearman closed out the game with two strikeouts and two walks.
The Rangers will host No. 11 Itawamba Community College at home Wednesday, with first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. The game will be streamed online at nwccrangers.com/watch, with updates available on the team’s social media accounts.
