Five Lady Rangers earn post-season awards

Five Northwest Mississippi Community College Lady Ranger softball players have been recognized for their outstanding play during the 2009 season by being selected for post-season honors.

Northwest finished with a record of 27-11 and claimed its second MACJC north division championship in three seasons.

Heading up the list is sophomore pitcher Sarah Gill of Olive Branch who was named both All-Region XXIII and MACJC All-State. Gill posted a record of 24-4 on the mound with an ERA of 2.17. Gill also struck out 103 batters in 170 innings of work and batted .265 with 20 RBI's and 17 runs scored.

Four Lady Ranger freshmen were voted All-State, including shortstop Mandy Bolden of Holly Springs, first baseman Angela Carden of Southaven, and catcher Casi Brooks and second baseman Haylei Plummer, both of Pope.

Bolden batted .396 with 20 RBI's and scored 28 runs, while Carden hit .341 with 27 RBI's and 17 runs scored. 

Plummer led the team in hitting with a .434 batting average which included 10 doubles and two home runs. Plummer also collected 19 RBI's and scored 28 runs. Brooks batted .379 with two home runs, nine doubles, and 21 RBI's.
 

Northwest's season ends at Region XXIII Tournament

The good news is the Northwest Mississippi Community College Lady Ranger softball team only allowed three runs in two games at the Region XXIII Tournament in Clinton. The bad news is that Northwest was shut out in both contests. 

The Lady Rangers fell to Pearl River 2-0 on the opening day of the event April 30, then dropped a 1-0 decision to LSU-Eunice on May 1.

Northwest, the MACJC north division champion, ended its season with an overall record of 27-11.

The Lady Rangers spoiled two great pitching performances from sophomore Sarah Gill of Olive Branch. Gill, who tossed two complete games, surrendered just 11 hits and one earned run in the two losses.

Northwest collected only two hits against Pearl River with both of them coming from the bat of freshman second baseman Haylei Plummer of Pope. Pearl River pushed across a run in the second and third innings to notch the victory.

The Lady Rangers locked into a defensive battle with LSU-Eunice with both teams collecting three hits each. Freshmen Casi Brooks of Pope, Leigh Tedford of Southaven, and Ciara Small of Horn Lake all had hits for Northwest.

LSU-Eunice broke a scoreless tie and scored the eventual game-winning run in the fourth frame.
 

Lady Rangers take third place at MACJC State Tournament

The Northwest Mississippi Community College Lady Ranger softball team placed third at the MACJC State Tournament April 24-25 at Wesson.

Northwest defeated East Central 7-4 on the first day of the event, but fell to Gulf Coast 9-5 in the semi-finals.

Northwest trailed East Central 4-2 in the state tournament going into the bottom of the fifth. That's when the Lady Rangers exploded for five runs to claim the victory.

Freshman first baseman Angela Carden of Southaven led Northwest's offensive attack with a two-run double, while freshman catcher Casi Brooks of Pope and sophomore pitcher Sarah Gill of Olive Branch added RBI-base hits.

Gill was the winning pitcher in the contest by throwing the complete game. Gill struck out seven and walked just one to improve her record to 25-4.

The Lady Rangers fell behind Gulf Coast 5-1 in the semi-finals, but pushed four runs across the plate in the third inning to tie the game.

Gulf Coast struck for three runs in the fourth and one more in the sixth to earn the win.

Northwest freshman Laina Collier of Oxford collected three RBI, while freshman second baseman Haylei Plummer of Pope hit a solo home run in the first inning.
 

Northwest closes regular season with sweep of Holmes

The Northwest Mississippi Community College Lady Ranger softball team closed out its regular season by sweeping the Holmes Lady Bulldogs April 21 in Senatobia.

Northwest won by scores of 2-1 and 4-1 to improve to 26-8 overall and 21-3 in the MACJC north division. 

The Lady Rangers, who are north division championship for the second time in three seasons, will take on East Central Friday, April 24 in the opening round of the MACJC State Tournament in Wesson. The single-elimination tournament wraps up April 25.

"I am glad we were able to send our sophomores out on a winning note to finish up the regular season, " said Northwest Head Coach Mike Rowan. "This should give us good momentum going into the state tournament.  We are playing really well, and if we continue to do the little things right and don’t beat ourselves, I like our chances."

Northwest sophomore pitcher Sarah Gill of Olive Branch was the winning pitcher in both games against Holmes to move her record to an incredible 24-4. Gill allowed just one earned run in the opening contest, while striking out four. Gill surrendered one earned run and four hits in the nightcap to go along with her two strikeouts.

In the the first contest, Lady Ranger freshman Haylei Plummer of Pope collected two of Northwest's six hits. Freshman Casi Brooks of Pope had an RBI-double, while Ciara Small of Horn Lake chipped in with an RBI-single.

The Lady Rangers broke a 1-1 tie in the second game by scoring three runs in the sixth inning. Freshman Angela Carden of Southaven had two hits for Northwest.  

Lady Rangers claim second north division championship in three years

The Northwest Mississippi Community College Lady Ranger softball team claimed its second MACJC north division championship in three seasons by splitting a doubleheader with the Itawamba Lady Indians April 18 in Fulton.

Northwest lost the first contest 5-3, but rebounded to claim the nightcap 7-0 to seal its first division title since 2007. The Lady Rangers improved to 24-8 overall and 19-3 in the north.

Northwest jumped to a 6-0 lead in the second game after two innings thanks to a two-run homer by  Haylei Plummer of Pope and an RBI-double by Sarah Gill of Olive Branch.

Plummer, Angela Carden of Southaven, and Ciara Small of Horn Lake had two hits each for the Lady Rangers who collected 11 hits in all.

Gill tossed the complete game shutout to move her record to 22-4. Gill allowed just five hits and walked one.

Northwest and Itawamba were tied 3-3 headed into the bottom of the fifth in the opening game. The Lady Rangers used an RBI-double by Casi Brooks of Pope and RBI’s from Gill and Laina Collier of Oxford for their three runs.

Itawamba won the contest by pushing across two runs in the bottom half of the fifth frame.

Gill gave up seven hits and four earned runs, while striking out four.

Northwest wraps up its home schedule by hosting Holmes Tuesday, April 21 in Senatobia.The doubleheader starts at 2 p.m.
 

Gill throws perfect game as Lady Rangers crush Coahoma

Northwest Mississippi Community College pitcher Sarah Gill tossed a perfect game to lift the Lady Rangers to an 18-0 victory against the Coahoma Lady Tigers in the first game of a doubleheader April 15 in Clarksdale 

Gill was also the winning pitcher in the second contest as Northwest rolled to a 24-4 win. The Lady Rangers improved to 23-7 overall and lead the MACJC north division with an 18-2 mark.

Gill, a sophomore from Olive Branch, allowed just two hits and struck out eight in the two games to up her record to 21-3.

Northwest got all the offense it needed in the first inning of the opening contest by striking for seven runs. 

Lady Ranger freshman shortstop Mandy Bolden of Holly Springs collected three of Northwest’s 12 hits. Bolden had a triple, three RBIs, and a stolen base.

Freshman outfielder Kayla Shawn of Oxford added a three-run double, while freshman third baseman Kristen Cooper of Southaven had two RBIs.

The Lady Rangers put up 18 runs in the first inning of the second game and cruised for the victory.

Northwest pounded out 15 hits in the nightcap. Bolden collected three of those hits and scored three runs.

Lady Ranger freshman Casi Brooks of Pope and sophomore Amber Thomas of Hernando added two hits each. Both Thomas and Gill scored three runs each.

Cooper got in on the hit parade with a home run and four RBIs.

Northwest travels to Fulton Friday, April 17 to battle Itawamba. The doubleheader starts at 2 p.m.

Tedford's hit helps Northwest sweep Northeast

Freshman Leigh Tedford's two-out single in the nightcap helped the Northwest Mississippi Community College Lady Ranger softball team complete a doubleheader sweep of the Northeast Lady Tigers April 9 in Senatobia.

Northwest defeated Northeast by scores of 8-0 and 5-4 to push its overall record to 21-7. The Lady Rangers lead the MACJC north division with a 16-2 mark.

Tedford, of Southaven, stepped to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning of the second game and lined a base hit into left field to score Laura Long of Senatobia from third base for the winning run. 

The Lady Rangers trailed Northeast 3-1 going into the bottom of the seventh, but tied the game when Mandy Bolden of Holly Springs scored on a sacrifice fly by Haylei Plummer of Pope. 

Northeast re-claimed the lead at 4-3 in the top of the eighth, but Laina Collier of Oxford sparked Northwest with a base hit to score Kayla Shawn of Oxford and tie the score at 4-4.

Bolden, Plummer, and Tedford led the Lady Rangers with two hits each.

Northwest sophomore pitcher Sarah Gill of Olive Branch was the winner in both contests to move her record to 19-3. 

Gill tossed a one-hitter in the opener and struck out two.

The Lady Rangers staked claim to a 6-0 lead after two innings and never looked back. Bolden, Plummer, and Casi Brooks of Pope collected three hits each. Northwest pounded out 12 hits as a team.

 

Division-leading Lady Rangers split with East Mississippi

Mandy Bolden and Sarah Gill collected three hits each to help the Northwest Mississippi Community College Lady Ranger softball team salvage a split in a doubleheader against the East Mississippi Lady Lions April 4 in Scooba.

Northwest pounded out 13 hits to claim the second contest of the twinbill 7-3. East Mississippi won the opener 2-1 to move the Lady Rangers’ record to 19-7 overall. 
Northwest, which has won 13 of its last 16 games, is still atop the MACJC north division standings with a 14-2 mark.

Pitcher Gill, of Olive Branch, threw all 14 innings of the doubleheader and pushed her record to 17-3. Gill surrendered a total of five earned runs in both games, while registering three strikeouts.

Gill also scored a run and collected an RBI to go along with her three hits in the nightcap as did Bolden of Holly Springs.

The Lady Rangers jumped to a 7-0 lead after the first three innngs of the second contest which led to the victory.

Northwest had trouble getting its offense going in the opener by totalling just four hits. 

Lady Ranger Casi Brooks of Pope knocked in Angela Carden of Southaven with an RBI-double in the first frame for Northwest’s lone run.

The Lady Rangers held that 1-0 lead until the sixth inning, but East Mississippi pushed two runs across the plate in the bottom of the sixth to claim the win.

Northwest will host Northeast Thursday, April 9 in Senatobia. The doubleheader starts at noon.
 

NWCC continues assault on north division with sweep of Mississippi Delta

Priming itself for the final leg of the regular season, the Northwest Mississippi Community College Lady Ranger softball team kept up its winning ways by sweeping the Mississippi Delta Lady Trojans April 1 in Senatobia.

Northwest defeated Mississippi Delta by scores of 9-6 and 10-3 to push its win streak to eight games. The Lady Rangers, who have won 12 of their last 14 contests, improved to 18-6 overall and remain in first place in the MACJC north division with a 13-1 mark.

Freshman Angela Carden of Southaven and sophomore Sarah Gill of Olive Branch had two hits each for Northwest in the first game. Gill also picked up three RBIs, while Carden added two.

The Lady Rangers jumped to a 9-1 lead after four innings and had to weather a late rally by Mississippi Delta in the final three frames.

Pitcher Gill tossed the complete seven innings and struck out five, while walking only two to earn the victory.

Gill was also the winning pitcher in the second contest to improve her record to 16-2. Gill threw another complete game and struck out two.

Freshmen Mandy Bolden of Holly Springs and Haylei Plummer (pictured right) of Pope collected two hits and scored three runs each for Northwest. One of Plummer's two hits was a solo home run. Carden and Casi Brooks of Pope totaled two RBIs each.

The Lady Rangers led took a commanding 8-1 lead after four innings and never looked back.

Red hot Lady Rangers take a pair of games from Holmes

The red-hot Northwest Mississippi Community College Lady Ranger softball team swept a doubleheader from the Holmes Lady Bulldogs March 29 in Goodman.

Northwest won 11-6 and 7-0 to improve to 16-6 overall. The Lady Rangers, who have won 10 of their last 12 games and six in a row, are 11-1 in the MACJC north division and lead the north by three games.

Northwest broke a 2-2 tie in the first contest against Holmes by scoring three runs in the fourth inning. The Lady Bulldogs cut their deficit to 7-6 after six innings, but the Lady Rangers countered with four runs in the top half of the seventh to earn the victory.

Freshman first baseman Angela Carden (pictured left) of Southaven led Northwest with three hits, including a pair of doubles, and three RBIs. Lady Ranger freshman shortstop Mandy Bolden of Holly Springs collected two hits and two RBIs.

Northwest sophomore pitcher Sarah Gill of Olive Branch was the winner in both contests to up her record to 14-2. Gill allowed just 11 hits in the doubleheader while striking out five.

Gill tossed a three-hit shutout in the nightcap. The Lady Rangers led 5-0 after three innings thanks to RBI-singles by Bolden and Haylei Plummer of Pope.

 

Lady Rangers claim north division lead by sweeping Itawamba

The Northwest Mississippi Community College Lady Ranger softball team took over sole possession of first place in the MACJC north division by sweeping a doubleheader from the Itawamba Lady Indians March 25 in Senatobia.

Northwest, 14-6 overall, won by scores of 6-5 and 4-3 to take a two-game lead in the north standings with a record of 9-1. The Lady Rangers and Itawamba entered the day tied atop the division.

Both games were filled with drama and plenty of tense moments.

In the first contest, Northwest took a 6-2 lead into the seventh inning. Lady Ranger catcher Casi Brooks of Pope collected a pair of RBI-hits, while Haylei Plummer of Pope, Megan Holliday of Senatobia, and Kristen Cooper and Leigh Tedford, both of Southaven, all had run-scoring singles.

Itawamba scored three runs in the top of the seventh to cut its deficit to 6-5, but Lady Ranger pitcher Sarah Gill of Olive Branch was able to close the door on the rally and earn the victory. Gill struck out seven and walked just one Lady Indian batter.

Gill was also the winning pitcher in the second game to improve her season record to 12-2. Gill surrendered only five hits in the nightcap, while striking out four.

Itawamba broke a 2-2 tie with a run in the top of the seventh frame, but the Northwest won the game in the bottom half of the seventh by moving two runs across the plate.

The Lady Rangers tied the game at 3-3 when Plummer, who had three hits, scored on a sacrifice fly by Gill. Northwest won the contest when Cooper singled home Angela Carden of Southaven from third base.
 

Lady Rangers take two games from East Mississippi

The red hot Northwest Mississippi Community College Lady Ranger softball team pushed its win streak to six games by sweeping a doubleheader from East Mississippi March 7 in Senatobia.

Northwest won the opener 7-6, then claimed the second contest 4-1 to improve to 6-2 overall. More importantly, the Lady Rangers are tied for first place in the MACJC north division with a perfect 4-0 mark.

There were some tense moments in the opening game as the Lady Rangers had to overcome a 6-3 deficit in their last at-bat in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Northwest's Kristen Cooper and Leigh Tedford, both of Southaven, started the rally with RBI-singles to score Angela Carden of Southaven and Casi Brooks of Pope.

Sarah Gill of Olive Branch tied the game by crossing the plate on a sacrifice fly by Mandy Bolden of Holly Springs.

With two outs, Lady Ranger Haylei Plummer of Pope singled to score Cooper from third base and give Northwest the victory.

Gill collected three of the Lady Rangers' three hits, while Tedford had two.

Gill was the winning pitcher by throwing the complete game and striking out five to improve her record to 5-1.

Northwest also used the arm of Gill to claim the second contest. Gill tossed another complete game and allowed just four hits, while striking out six in seven innings.

The Lady Rangers struck for two runs in the first inning, then added one in the third and fifth frames.

Northwest pounded out 11 hits, with Bolden Ciara Small (pictured right) of Horn Lake, and Amber Thomas of Hernando collecting two each.
 

Gill leads NWCC to division-opening sweep at Mississippi Delta

Sophomore pitcher Sarah Gill helped the Northwest Mississippi Community College Lady Ranger fast-pitch softball team begin division play on the right foot as it swept a doubleheader from Mississippi Delta March 4 in Moorhead.

Northwest won the opening contest 4-3, then claimed the nightcap 5-1 to move to 4-2 overall and 2-0 in the MACJC north division.

Gill (pictured left), of Olive Branch, was the winning pitcher in both games by throwing all 14 innings. Gill gave up 10 hits and struck out eight in the doubleheader en route to improving her record to 4-1.

In the first contest, the Lady Rangers trailed 2-1 after three innings. Northwest put together a three-run fourth frame to grab the victory.

Ciara Small of Horn Lake, Angela Carden of Southaven, and Casi Brooks of Pope all had two hits each for the Lady Rangers. 

Northwest managed just six hits in the second game, but was able to capitalize on three Mississippi Delta errors.

The Lady Rangers scored two runs in the third inning and added two more in the fourth. Haylei Plummer of Pope and Carden both collected two-run doubles for Northwest.

Gill struck out five batters in the nightcap, while allowing just two hits and one unearned run.
 

Lady Rangers put on offensive display in doubleheader sweep

The Northwest Mississippi Community College Lady Ranger fast-pitch softball team flexed some offensive muscle and crushed Crowley's Ridge College in a doubleheader Feb. 26 in Senatobia. 

Northwest pounded out 36 hits in the two contests and swept Crowley's Ridge by scores of 15-0 and 23-0. The Lady Rangers evened their record at 2-2.

Northwest racked up 15 hits in the opener, six of them for extra bases. The Lady Rangers led 3-0 after two innings before erupting for 10 runs in the third frame.

Ciara Small of Horn Lake, Casi Brooks of Pope, Mandy Bolden (pictured left) of Holly Springs, Sarah Gill of Olive Branch, and Lara Long of Hernando all collected two hits each for Northwest. Long's two hits were a triple and an inside-the-park home run.

Leigh Tedford of Southaven had a team-high three RBIs.

Pitchers Gill and Laina Collier of Oxford combined for the two-hit shutout. Gill was the winning pitcher and struck out four in three innings of work.

The Lady Rangers' offensive assault continued in the second game as they pushed 18 runs across the plate in the first inning.

Northwest totaled 23 hits in the contest with Small, Gill, Tedford, Jessica Morgan of Horn Lake, and Angela Carden of Southaven picking up two hits each. Small had an inside-the-park home run, while Gill collected three RBIs. 

Lady Ranger pitchers Gill and Chelsea Shepherd of Horn Lake combined for the three-inning no-hitter. Gill got her second win of the day by striking out three in two innings.