PERKINSTON, Miss. — The Northwest Mississippi Community College softball team split a doubleheader against No. 24-ranked Mississippi Gulf Coast on Saturday, winning the second game 4-3 after falling 6-4 in extra innings in the opener.
The Rangers, ranked 18th nationally, improved to 17-10 overall and 9-3 in the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference. The split kept them in a three-way tie for second place with Jones College and Southwest Mississippi Community College at the season’s midpoint, according to school officials.
Head coach Chelsea Bramlett acknowledged missed opportunities but praised her team’s effort. “Overall, we didn’t hit bad. We’re just running ourselves out of some innings and not making good decisions,” she said. “We pulled out a split on the road against a ranked team, so I can’t complain.”
In the first game, the Bulldogs jumped to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning. Northwest responded with two runs in the third and two more in the fourth, including Lindsey Gillis’ first home run of the season. However, MGCCC tied the game in the bottom of the fourth and scored the winning run in the eighth on Piper Rushing’s walk-off homer. Meredith Dearman pitched seven-plus innings, striking out six but allowing 13 runners on nine hits, three walks, and an error.
The second game featured tighter defense and a strong pitching performance from Catelyn Brown, who threw a complete game, allowing seven hits and striking out two. Northwest took a 3-1 lead in the sixth, then scored the go-ahead run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Gillis. The Bulldogs threatened in the bottom of the inning but failed to score, with Brown securing the final out.
Emma Rhoden led the Rangers offensively, going 4-for-8 with two runs and an RBI. Cates and Armstrong also contributed key hits. Bramlett praised Brown’s performance and Rhoden’s leadership, emphasizing the team’s overall effort and need to capitalize on scoring opportunities.
Northwest will return home Tuesday for games against Coahoma Community College before facing Southwest Mississippi on Friday in a doubleheader with significant conference implications. Both games will be streamed online at nwccrangers.com/watch, with updates available via Northwest’s social media channels.
