The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team improved to 4-0 on the year with a 6-3 victory over Arkansas Fort Smith, 6-3, on Tuesday afternoon at Crowder Field in Fort Smith, Ark.

– The Bearcats improve to 4-0 on the year while the Lions fall to 2-2.

– Northwest took the lead with a three-run sixth inning, breaking a 1-1 tie. Arkansas Fort Smith stranded 11 runners on base including three in the final two innings.

Key Northwest Statistics
– The Bearcats scored six runs on 11 hits with no errors. The Lions had three runs on 10 hits with one error.

– Northwest scored one in the fifth, three in the sixth and two in the eighth. Arkansas Fort Smith scored single runs in the fourth, sixth and eighth innings.

– Jay Hrdlicka went 2-for-4 with four RBI and a run scored. He hit an RBI triple in the fifth, a sacrifice fly in the sixth and a two-run homer in the eighth.

– Luke Hassman was 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI.

– Ozzie Adams went 2-for-4 with a run scored. He also was credited with a sacrifice bunt in the seventh inning.

– James Holler was 2-for-5 with a run scored

– Alixon Herrera was 1-for-5 with a run scored.

– Landon Figg was 1-for-3 with a run scored. He also drew a walk.

– Logan Rycraft went 1-for-4 on the day.

– Eddy Kraeber made his Bearcat debut with a 4.2 inning, one run performance. He allowed just six hits and struck out two. He did not walk a batter.

– Cole Otto entered the game with two down in the fifth. He was credited with his first victory in a Northwest jersey.

– Jimmy McElwain worked a perfect seventh inning on the hill. He got two ground outs and ended the frame with a swinging strikeout.

– Nikko Pablo got the final four outs of the game , recording a strikeout, a groundout and a pair of flyouts to center. It was his second save of the season.

Key Northwest Innings
– With one out in the fifth, Hassman singled to short and came around to score on Hrdlicka’s triple to right center, tying the game, 1-1.

– Adams led off the sixth with a single up the middle and reached second safely on a Herrerra fielder’s choice. Holler came through with a single through the right side. An error by the right fielder allowed Adams to score, prompting a pitching change. After Handzlik laid down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners up, Figg was intentionally walked to load the bases. Hassman came up with a single to center to score Herrera, making it 3-1. After another pitching change, Hrdlicka hit a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Holler to put Northwest up, 4-1.

– Figg hit a one out single in the eighth to center. After a strikeout for the second out, Hrdlicka hit his first home run of the year over the right field fence to make it 6-2 Bearcats.

Up Next
– Northwest will head to Arkadephia, Ark., for three games starting on Thursday. The Bearcats will play Ouachita Baptist on Thursday at 1 p.m., followed by a 3 p.m. game at Henderson State on Friday. The weekend ends with a neutral site noon game against Truman State on Saturday.

— Northwest Athletics —