SENATOBIA — The Northwest Mississippi Community College softball team earned a split in its season-opening MACCC series against No. 3 Jones College on Friday. The Rangers lost the first game 9-1 but won the second 2-1 behind a strong pitching performance from Meredith Dearman, according to the school.
Head coach Chelsea Bramlett credited a team talk in the locker room for the turnaround. “They came out as the team I have known they could be all year,” Bramlett said. “Jones is a really good team top to bottom, so to come out and compete like we did and walk them off was a big confidence boost.”
In the first game, Jones took an early lead with two runs in the second inning. The Bobcats added to their lead with a homer in the fourth and multiple runs in the sixth and seventh innings, finishing with a 9-1 win. Catelyn Brown took the loss, moving to 2-5 on the season.
The second game was a defensive battle. Northwest scored first in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI groundout by Handley McAtee. Both teams’ pitchers kept the game scoreless until the sixth, when Mabry Eason tied it with a home run for Jones.
Northwest threatened in the bottom of the inning but couldn’t capitalize. The game remained tied until the seventh, when Dearman drew a walk, then scored on a single by Londen Armstrong and an RBI double from Sela Mancini to secure the walk-off win for the Rangers. Dearman pitched all seven innings, allowing five hits and one walk for her seventh win of the season, with a 2.18 ERA.
Next, Northwest will travel to East Central Community College for a doubleheader scheduled for Saturday, March 14, at 1 and 3 p.m., according to the school. Bramlett noted the team’s recent tough schedule has been taxing but said the upcoming break should help the team recover.
