SENATOBIA – After what was a seemingly simple 7-0 win in the opening game of #19 Northwest Mississippi Community College softball's double header with Holmes Community College (24-24, 8-14), the Rangers (24-13, 16-6) came up with one of their most improbably wins of the season, rallying from down as much as six to take down the Bulldogs 12-11 in walk off fashion on Tuesday night at the Ranger Softball Field to earn a sweep over the Bulldogs.
""I was proud of my hitters today," Head Coach Chelsea Bramlettsaid. "I think they did really well, especially in game two, just never giving up. Wasn't my pitchers' best game in game two, but we definitely turned it on at the plate and finally are starting to hit when we need to."
Sela Mancini, who was a major force in both games, going 4-7 with seven RBIs and a home run on the day said a pregame message really helped the team to dial in.
"We had a devotional about negativity and being able to control what you can control. All you can control is attitude and effort and we knew that if we controlled that out here, we knew that we had don't everything that we could."
#19 NWCC 7 Holmes 0
The Rangers got off on the right foot and never looked back in the opening game, getting a clean top of the first inning from freshman Meredith Dearman before giving their starter all the support she would need in the bottom of the frame when a lead off walk to Ava Claire Rhoden turned into a run after they worked her to third where a sacrifice fly from Carleigh Calarco brought her in to make it 1-0.
More offense followed in the bottom of the third when another lead off walk, this time to Allyson Christmas started a run of six straight Rangers to reach base, with RBI doubles from Handley McAtee and Lillianna Cates being paired with runs being brought in by Sela Mancini and Emma Jennings to put four more on the board and give Northwest a 5-0 cushion heading into the back half.
Meanwhile, the circle was dominated by Dearman, who struck out ten in the game and only allowed six base runners in the game, all coming in the first four innings. The ace of the Rangers staff retired the final ten batters she faced after stranding a pair of two out singles in the top of the fourth inning, picking up her third complete game shutout of the season for the Rangers 15thconference win along the way.
"Dearman said she can see the improvement that has been made in her game as the season has progressed, and it's paying dividends in big moments.
"I can definitely hit more spots that I could in the fall," she said. "It the fall I was just throwing it and I adjust more to the batters."
Northwest almost picked up another run rule win along the way, scoring two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on an RBI double by Jennings that put the walk off run in scoring position but a fly out and a pop out would allow the Bulldogs to go the distance despite the 7-0 final score.
"It was good to pick up the win," Dearman said afterward. "I think we really needed it after our loss from Saturday."
#19 NWCC 12 Holmes 11
It was the Bulldogs who jumped out to the early advantage in the top of the first as they ambushed Catelyn Brown with four runs, with the big blow coming on a three-run home run by Lauren Frazier with two outs that would put Northwest in an early bind and stall all momentum from the opening game win.
The Rangers put runners on the corners in the bottom half but failed to bring in any kind of answer as the score remained 4-0, and it would turn to 5-0 on an RBI sacrifice fly that brought home a lead off walk in the top of the second inning.
Brown settled back in for the third and fourth innings, giving time for the offense to solve Presley Scarbrough in the circle, and when the gates opened, they came crashing open in the bottom of the fourth when the first two batters reached base on singles from Cates and Calarco.
A visit to the pitcher by the Bulldogs gave Mancini a chance to compose herself, and the freshman came through in a big way, blasting her third home run of the season over the left field fence to get the offense on the board, and provide a spark for the Rangers to build on.
"That's something I always like to see, just to give me a moment to relax and tell myself I can do it. I took a moment just to pray again, and I just had confidence in myself and knew whatever happened I was going to give God the glory through it all," Mancini said.
Bramlett said the work by Brown in overcoming some early adversity was also big in helping the team rally back into the game.
"It definitely helped us," she said. "The umpires didn't help us a whole lot, I'm going to be perfectly honest, so to overcome that was a big deal."
Hayley Pascal came in to pitch for Holmes, and silenced Northwest for the remainder of the inning, and Brown would get touched up in the top of the fifth for a pair of runs on three doubles to help the Bulldogs rebuild the lead to four at 7-3.
An answer was brewing for Northwest in the bottom half though, as the game became one of punch-counter punch. An error allowed for Rhoden to reach to lead off the inning and the Rangers would load the bases on a pair of singles and a fielder's choice from the next three batters.
That set up an RBI single from Mancini and one batter later, a walk to Londen Armstrong would bring home a second run to cut the lead back to 7-5. It would have been trimmed more, but a diving play in center field by Allie Henderson saved the inning for Holmes and kept it at a two-run game.
Northwest went to their bullpen to return Dearman to the circle, but Holmes responded anyways in the top of the sixth with another four runs of their own thanks to several tough plays that went the visitor's way.
A lead off pair of singles were followed by two fielders' choices that were mishandled by the Rangers and with the bases loaded and one run already home, a third single by Frazier, who ended the game with six RBIs for Holmes, pushed the Bulldogs to double figures, up 10-5. Another run scored on a sacrifice bunt to plate the final run of the inning and the lead went to the bottom half at six, 11-5.
The teeter totter continued it's back and forth as the Rangers took another few paces back into the fight loading the bases on a pair of walks with one out, capitalizing on a sacrifice fly from Calarco and another RBI single by Mancini to close the gap back to four, but another big play in center would end the threat as the game went to the seventh with Holmes leading 11-7.
After a clean top of the seventh, Northwest had one more chance to answer and it got off to a good start, with a hit batter and a fielder's choice that wouldn't result in an out lead to an RBI single from Rhoden to trim it to a 11-8 game on the next at-bat.
The bases were loaded on the next pitch when McAtee would single and with still none out, the Bulldogs picked up a clutch fielder's choice that went in their favor this time with Rhoden being force at the plate on a ground ball from Cates.
A similar play would take place with Calarco stepping to the plate, and this time, the Bulldogs didn't find the fortune, with a third fielder's choice resulting in an RBI for Calarco and no one being retired to trim it to a 11-9 game, and Mancini followed that with an RBI single of her own, plating the sixth run of the game that she was responsible for.
"Meredith and Catelyn had just pitched a great game, and I just wanted to come in and do the job for my pitchers," Mancini said. "I just continued to be confident and have confidence in myself to get the job done."
"(Sela) is confident and comfortable at the plate and you can just see it. I mean, the swing is there and she's got it all now. I'm really proud of her and the confidence she's got right now," Bramlett said.
Down 11-10, the baton was passed to Mary Madison Kelley and after being 0-3 on the day, the first baseman for the Rangers served a 1-2 pitch over the head of her counterpart to bring home the tying and winning run as the Rangers capped off a six-run come-from-behind win in walk-off fashion, taking it 12-11 to sweep the day.
The win went to Dearman for her 16th of the year, but it was really a team effort for the Rangers with everyone contributing to the victory.
UP NEXT
The Northwest Rangers are set to close out their final regular season home game on Saturday afternoon against #4 Copiah-Lincoln Community College (38-5, 19-3) in a pair of games with massive implications on the MACCC standings, with the top four teams all within three games of each other.
Weather is expected to move in through the weekend, so the game could be postponed to next week on Thursday afternoon.
The final two series of the year after that have the Rangers traveling to Mississippi Delta Community College (11-31, 3-19) on Tuesday, April 21st before their season finale in Poplarville against #5 Pearl River Community College (32-6, 18-4).
"We need to continue to put in the work and stay after it," Mancini said of the final stretch to close the season. "Because every team is good. We need to stay focused into regionals."
