Walk-Off Finish Lifts Indians to Split Against Rangers
A day that could have slipped away turned into a split, as the Indians (15-10, 4-2 MACCC) dropped a wild opener before answering with a walk-off finish in extra innings against Northwest (15-10, 2-2 MACCC) to close the doubleheader on a high note.
Northwest Mississippi Community College
9
Itawamba CC
10
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 2 |
|
|
0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 3 |
March 18, 2026
FULTON, Miss. - A day that could have slipped away turned into a split for ICC, as the Indians dropped a wild opener before answering with a walk-off finish in extra innings against Northwest to close the doubleheader on a high note.
It was the kind of response head coach Slater Lott said has become part of this team's identity.
"I think it's a testament to their character and belief in one another," Lott said. "You can look back against Meridian as well where we give up five in the first and come back to win there too. I'm just really proud of their resilience and belief."
Game 1: Northwest 15, Indians 13
The Indians had enough offense to win the opener. They just could not hold down the Rangers in the late innings.
ICC pounded out 12 hits and erased deficits more than once, but Northwest answered every push in a back-and-forth game that finally turned in the eighth. The Rangers struck first in the second, then ICC worked back into it and pulled even at 3-3 in the fourth when Reid Kent doubled to center.
The Indians grabbed their first lead in the fifth on Jack Cummings' sacrifice fly, but the game swung again in the sixth when Northwest put together a five-run inning to move in front 8-4.
ICC answered immediately.
That response was the biggest stretch of the opener for the Indians. In the bottom of the sixth, ICC scored five runs on three hits to surge back in front 9-8. Tyler Pickens delivered the key swing of the inning with a triple that brought home three runs.
Northwest answered again in the seventh with a two-run homer to reclaim the lead at 11-9, but the Indians still had another punch left. In the bottom half, ICC turned the game again when Madden Butler drove in a run with a single and Tre Gunn launched a three-run homer to left, pushing the Indians back in front 13-11.
The lead did not last. Northwest came up with the decisive answer in the eighth, scoring four runs to move back in front for good.
Reid Kent led ICC with three hits in the loss.
Game 2: Indians 10, Rangers 9 (8 innings)
The Indians made sure the night ended differently.
After falling behind early and chasing the game for much of the night, ICC delivered the final answer in the eighth to walk off the Rangers and salvage the split. Cannon Graham lined the game-winning double off the wall in center, sending the Indians off with a dramatic 10-9 win.
Northwest landed the first blow in Game 2 and it was a heavy one. The Rangers scored five times in the top of the first.
ICC started cutting into the margin in the third when Kent connected for a solo homer to left. The Indians kept chipping away and got a major lift in the fifth when Madden Butler homered to left for two more runs. Will Caviness added another solo shot in the sixth as ICC stayed within reach.
By the seventh, the pressure shifted. Butler came through again with a double to right on an 0-2 count, tying the game at 8-8 and bringing the Indians all the way back.
"We talk a lot about getting ourselves off the mat and to keep punching," Lott said. "I think our season so far personifies that pretty well."
Northwest briefly moved back in front in the eighth, but ICC still had the last swing. In the bottom half, Bryson Jackson opened the frame with a game-tying homer to left. Not long after, Graham delivered the walk-off double off to finish it.
ICC totaled 10 hits in the win.
Houston Green earned the win in relief for the Indians, working two innings and allowing one earned run on two hits with one strikeout.
Up next, the Indians will travel to Hinds (18-9, 4-2 MACCC) for a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. in Raymond.
"We have to continue to keep punching offensively and we are working hard to create some consistency on the defensive side of the ball," Lott said. "We need to get some quality starts and innings on the mound from our guys."
It was the kind of response head coach Slater Lott said has become part of this team's identity.
"I think it's a testament to their character and belief in one another," Lott said. "You can look back against Meridian as well where we give up five in the first and come back to win there too. I'm just really proud of their resilience and belief."
Game 1: Northwest 15, Indians 13
The Indians had enough offense to win the opener. They just could not hold down the Rangers in the late innings.
ICC pounded out 12 hits and erased deficits more than once, but Northwest answered every push in a back-and-forth game that finally turned in the eighth. The Rangers struck first in the second, then ICC worked back into it and pulled even at 3-3 in the fourth when Reid Kent doubled to center.
The Indians grabbed their first lead in the fifth on Jack Cummings' sacrifice fly, but the game swung again in the sixth when Northwest put together a five-run inning to move in front 8-4.
ICC answered immediately.
That response was the biggest stretch of the opener for the Indians. In the bottom of the sixth, ICC scored five runs on three hits to surge back in front 9-8. Tyler Pickens delivered the key swing of the inning with a triple that brought home three runs.
Northwest answered again in the seventh with a two-run homer to reclaim the lead at 11-9, but the Indians still had another punch left. In the bottom half, ICC turned the game again when Madden Butler drove in a run with a single and Tre Gunn launched a three-run homer to left, pushing the Indians back in front 13-11.
The lead did not last. Northwest came up with the decisive answer in the eighth, scoring four runs to move back in front for good.
Reid Kent led ICC with three hits in the loss.
Game 2: Indians 10, Rangers 9 (8 innings)
The Indians made sure the night ended differently.
After falling behind early and chasing the game for much of the night, ICC delivered the final answer in the eighth to walk off the Rangers and salvage the split. Cannon Graham lined the game-winning double off the wall in center, sending the Indians off with a dramatic 10-9 win.
Northwest landed the first blow in Game 2 and it was a heavy one. The Rangers scored five times in the top of the first.
ICC started cutting into the margin in the third when Kent connected for a solo homer to left. The Indians kept chipping away and got a major lift in the fifth when Madden Butler homered to left for two more runs. Will Caviness added another solo shot in the sixth as ICC stayed within reach.
By the seventh, the pressure shifted. Butler came through again with a double to right on an 0-2 count, tying the game at 8-8 and bringing the Indians all the way back.
"We talk a lot about getting ourselves off the mat and to keep punching," Lott said. "I think our season so far personifies that pretty well."
Northwest briefly moved back in front in the eighth, but ICC still had the last swing. In the bottom half, Bryson Jackson opened the frame with a game-tying homer to left. Not long after, Graham delivered the walk-off double off to finish it.
ICC totaled 10 hits in the win.
Houston Green earned the win in relief for the Indians, working two innings and allowing one earned run on two hits with one strikeout.
Up next, the Indians will travel to Hinds (18-9, 4-2 MACCC) for a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. in Raymond.
"We have to continue to keep punching offensively and we are working hard to create some consistency on the defensive side of the ball," Lott said. "We need to get some quality starts and innings on the mound from our guys."