It was another cool afternoon at Simmons Field as Central Oklahoma finished a four-game sweep of Northwest Missouri State with 3-1 and 9-8 wins on Sunday in non-conference baseball action.
The Bearcats fell to 0-4 to open their season while the Bronchos improved to 8-2. Northwest returns to Oklahoma next weekend for a pair of games with Northeastern State and Arkansas Tech in Tahlequah, Okla.
Game One
In the first game of the double header Northwest was able to duplicate its early runs as Ryan Abernathy circled the bases and scored via a passed ball to give the Bearcats an early 1-0 lead.
However, UCO would answer with a homerun to lead off the bottom of the first and second innings taking a 2-1 lead. The Bronchos added a third run in the home half of the third inning, proving to be all the offense UCO needed, moving one game closer to a series sweep.
After the early scoring both team’s pitching staffs silenced the opponents bats as Northwest starter Jace Anderson pitched five solid innings. The two homeruns proved to be costly as Anderson was charged with all three runs and the loss while scattering seven hits.
Edgar Lopez was just a little sharper for UCO going 5.2 innings allowing two hits and striking out eight.
Game Two
The second game of Sunday’s twin bill saw almost twice as much offense as the Bearcats staged a late inning rally before falling 9-8.
UCO jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the third inning, but the Bearcats would battle back adding a run in the fourth and tying the game with three runs in the fifth.
However, every time the Bearcats would answer the Bronchos at the plate, UCO would add just enough to hold its lead.
Northwest started its rally in the seventh as Eric McGlauflin knocked a two out double in the gap and scored on error.
Geno DeAngleis, who reached on the error, also scored via a UCO error to pull the Bearcats within two runs.
In the ninth, Abernathy would score Jon Pomatto with a RBI single again pulling Northwest within a run at 9-8; however the Bronchos’ bullpen would get the final two outs needed to preserve the win and sweep.
After 5.2, starter Chase Anderson recorded the loss. Although Anders allowed all nine runs the junior was only charged with five runs.
— NWMSU Sports Information