The Northwest Missouri State University softball team fell in a pair of closely fought games on Friday at the UAM 8-State Classic in Bentonville, Ark.
– The Bearcats lost to No. 5 ranked Southern Arkansas, 6-5, in the morning then lost to Illinois-Springfield, 7-5, in the afternoon.
– Northwest is now 2-4 on the year and will play four more times this weekend.
Game One Key Statistics (Southern Arkansas 6, Northwest 5)
– The Bearcats scored single runs in the second and third innings and added three in the fifth. The Lady Muleriders had two in the first and four runs in the fourth.
– Northwest finished with five runs on nine hits with two errors. Southern Arkansas had six runs on eight hits with an error.
– The win moved Southern Arkansas to 8-1 on the year while Northwest fell to 2-3.
– Jaedra Moses was 2-for-2 with two runs scored. She also drew a walk.
– Torri Blythe was 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored
– Rebecca Maher went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
– Alexis Kelsey went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in the second inning.
– Chantel Adams was 1-for-2 with a pair of RBIs.
– Jessica Rawie was 1-for-4 with an RBI.
– Kaitlin Weis was 1-for-3 in the first game.
– Rachel Smith started and went 3.2 innings. She struck out two batters.
– Taylor Blackford did not allow a run in 2.1 innings of work. She struck out three and walked one.
Game One Key Innings
– Kelsey led off the top of the second with a solo home run to right field.
– In the third, Moses singled with one down and went to third on a Blythe double. After a strikeout, Maher hit an infield single to third, scoring Moses to tie the game, 2-2.
– In the fifth inning, Moses led off with a single to left and went to second on a Blythe single. After a flyout, Maher singled to left to load the bases. Southern Arkansas got a strikeout and then got Adams to hit a single to second and a bad throw to second base allowed Adams to advance to second while Blythe and Moses scored to cut the SAU lead to 6-4. Rawie followed it up with a single to left, scoring Maher to make it 6-5.
Game Two Key Statistics (Illinois-Springfield 7, Northwest 5)
– Northwest scored one run in the third, three in the fourth and one in the sixth. Illinois Springfield got two runs in the first, two in the sixth and three in the seventh.
– The Bearcats had five runs on 12 hits with a pair of errors. The Prairie Stars had seven runs on nine hits with three errors in their season opener.
– Weis was 3-for-4 with three runs scored. She hit a double in the sixth inning.
– Abigail Gilson was 2-for-3 with three RBIs. She tallied her first home run of the season in the fourth inning.
– Moses went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
– Rawie went 1-for-4 with a run scored.
– Kelsey was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk.
– Adams, Blythe and Maher all went 1-for-4 at the plate.
Game Two Key Innings
– Weis led off the third with a single to right center. After an out, Moses singled to left to put two runners on. Blythe followed it up with a single to center. Weis moved to third on the hit and was able to score on an error by the center fielder.
– Kelsey doubled to lead off the fourth to center. Adams grounded into a fielder’s choice as Kelsey was tagged out trying to go to third. Rawie singled to center and Weis followed it with another single to center. Adams tried to score from second but was tagged out at the plate. Gilson hit a 3-2 pitch over the left field fence to score three runs to give Northwest a 4-2 lead.
– In the sixth, Weis doubled to left and went to third on a Gilson single. Moses would drive in Weis with a single to left center, giving the Bearcats a 5-2 advantage.
Up Next
– Day two in Bentonville begins tomorrow at 1 p.m. against Ouachita Baptist. Northwest will then take on Southern Nazerene at 3 p.m.
— Mizzou Athletics —