The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team picked up a 6-4 victory over Southwest Baptist on Friday in the second round of the MIAA Tournament at Missouri Southern State University.

– Northwest improves to 32-19 overall while Southwest Baptist ends its season with a 30-21 record.

Key Northwest Statistics
– Northwest scored five runs in the third and one in the fifth. Southwest Baptist scored twice in the first, once in the third and once in the eighth.

– Northwest had six runs on 10 hits. SBU had four runs on 11 hits. Neither team had an error.

– Alixon Herrera was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

– Garrett Fort went 2-for-5 with a run scored.

– Ozzie Adams was 1-for-3 with an RBI, a run scored and a walk.

– Jay Hrdlicka was 1-for-2 with an RBI double. He also walked twice.

– Kevin Handzlik went 1-for-2 with an RBI, a run scored, a walk and a sacrifice bunt.

– James Holler scored a run and drove in a run, going 1-for-3 with a sacrifice bunt.

– Kolby Greenslade was 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

– Landon Figg went 1-for-4.

– Joseph Hietpas went 5.2 innings for the win, allowing three runs on five hits. He struck out four and walked four.

– Jacob Wagner got the last out of the sixth inning after entering the game with two outs and the bases loaded. He got a groundout to second against the only batter he faced.

– Eddy Kraber worked 2.0 innings of relief, allowing one run on three hits.

– Nikko Pablo picked up his 11th save of the year, working a flawless ninth inning to close out the victory.

Key Northwest Innings
– Northwest plated five runs in the bottom of the third to take the lead. Handzlik started the frame with a leadoff single and went to second on a Rycraft sacrifice bunt. Fort hit a single to right to put runners on the corners. Adams followed it up by taking the first pitch he saw into right for an RBI single. A flyout in the next at bat allowed Fort to tag up and move to third. Holler, Herrera and Greenslade all singled in successive order, each driving in a run. Hrdlicka drew a four-pitch walk, prompting an SBU pitching change. After the break, Handzlik drew a four-pitch walk to force in Herrera from third to make it 5-4 Northwest.

– With one down in the fifth, Herrera hit a single to right to reach base but was forced out on a Greenslade fielder’s choice. With two down, Hrdlicka doubled down the right field line into the corner, allowing Greenslade to come all the way around from first to make it a 6-3 advantage.

Up Next
– Northwest will face Missouri Western on Saturday at 9 a.m.

— Northwest Athletics —