By Brett Brown

For The Observer

After opening the season with four consecutive victories, the Northwest Mississippi Community College Ranger baseball team has found the going rough lately by dropping three in a row.

The Rangers lost both games of a doubleheader to the Northwest Shoals Patriots on Feb. 24 in Senatobia. Northwest was edged, 4-3, in the opener, then fell, 5-2, in the nightcap.

In the first contest, the Rangers used a two-run single by freshman third baseman Ethan Bright of Batesville to claim a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Northwest stretched its advantage to 3-1 after four frames on an RBI-single by sophomore outfielder Ronnie Ferrell of Water Valley.

Northwest Shoals struck for three runs on three hits in the fifth inning to take a 4-3 lead.

The Rangers had a pair of golden opportunities to tie the contest in the fifth and sixth frames, but wasted those chances. Northwest sophomore second baseman Seth Milliorn of Olive Branch led off the fifth inning with a double and moved to third on a groundout by Hunter Parham of Southaven, but the next two Rangers struck out.

In the sixth frame, sophomore outfielder Kevin Crum of Southaven led off with a single and then stole second base, but Northwest couldn't get the clutch hit it needed.

Crum, Milliorn and freshman shortstop Drew Griffin of Somerville, Tenn., had two hits each in the opener. Crum also had two stolen bases.

Ranger sophomore pitcher Matt Shaw of Oxford tossed the complete game and struck out four to take the loss and drop his record to 1-1.

Northwest fell behind 4-1 in the second contest. The Rangers pushed  a run across in the first inning on an RBI-single by sophomore Davis Horton of Oxford. Northwest added another run in the sixth inning when sophomore Tyler Benson of Batesville singled home Milliorn, but the Rangers couldn't get any closer.

Benson, Milliorn and freshman Chad Wardlaw of Olive Branch each had two hits for Northwest.

Ranger sophomore pitcher Mark Husband of Tunica shouldered the loss to move his record to 2-1. Husband struck out five over the first five innings, while allowing four hits and two runs.

Northwest hosts Mississippi Gulf Coast on Saturday, Feb. 27, at Ranger Field in Senatobia. The doubleheader starts at noon.