Continuing an eight game road swing the Northwest Missouri State softball team dropped a MIAA double header at Pittsburg State, 8-2 and 15-7 Saturday evening at the PSU Softball Complex.
The Bearcats fell to 11-15 on the season and 2-7 in league play after battling to get back to the .500 mark at the beginning of their road trip that concludes on Sunday at Missouri Southern. PSU improved to 13-16 on the season and 2-0 in its first conference series of the year.
Northwest jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on a Kristen Uthe two-run homer in the top of the first inning. However the Gorillas got an outstanding effort in the circle shutting out the Bearcats over the final six innings.
PSU starter, Hilary Erbert, scattered six hits in a complete game effort for the win.
Erbert got the run support needed as the Gorillas scratched back a run in the bottom of the first and plated four runs in the third. That would be all PSU needed as Erbert finished a solid outing with her defense behind her as she only walked two and struck out two.
Jenna Creger picked up the loss for Northwest as the junior failed to get out of the third inning.
In game two PSU prevailed in an offensive showcase as both teams combined for 32 hits and 22 runs in the nightcap.
Unfortunately, the Bearcats came up on the short end of the offensive blowout.
Northwest again got on the board in the top of the first inning after an RBI single from Uthe scored Hailee Hendricks putting the Bearcats up 1-0. However, PSU would answer with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first to take the lead and never look back.
The Gorillas broke the game open in the bottom of the second inning as they blasted four home runs in the inning pushing five runs across to extend its lead to 7-1. In the home run barrage, PSU blasted back-to-back-to-back homers before the Bearcats recorded the third out.
After adding a run in the second Northwest threatened with Kayli Schurman’s ninth home run of the season. The Bearcats pushed two more runs across in the in the visitor half of the fourth via two PSU errors, but the Gorillas answered each time and ended the game in the sixth with five runs putting the run rule in effect.
Jordan Ereth and Hendricks each had two hits in the second game.
Northwest closes out its spring break road swing on Sunday with a double header at Missouri Southern. First pitch from Joplin is set for noon.
— NWMSU Sports Information —