The Northwest Missouri State University softball program began the 2018 season in Bentonville, Ark., on Thursday against Arkansas Tech and Central Missouri.

The Bearcats fell to Arkansas Tech, 11-6, in the first game before rebounding to beat Central Missouri in a non-MIAA game, 12-3, in the afternoon session.

Northwest hit six home runs in the two games, three coming off the bat of Erin Keeney in her Bearcat debut.

Game One Key Statistics (Arkansas Tech 11, Northwest 6)
– Arkansas Tech scored three in the second, three in the fifth, one in the fifth and two in the sixth. The Golden Suns had 11 runs on 13 hits with one error.

– Northwest scored three runs in the second and three in the sixth. The Bearcats finished with six runs on eight hits and four errors.

– Jessica Rawie had a home run, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI.

– Karli Allen was 1-for-3 with a three-run home run in the second inning.

– Rebecca Maher was 1-for-3 with a double, a walk and a stolen base.

– Kaitlyn Weis was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.

– Keeney went 1-for-4 with a homerun, a pair of RBIs and a run scored.

– Abigail Gilson went 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored.

– Kiana Baderdeen went 1-for-3.

– Regan Thompson pitched 4.1 innings, allowing jut one earned run. She struck out three and did not issue a walk.

Game One Key Innings
– Rawie and Gilson led off the second with back-to-back walks. Allen cleared the bases with a three-run home run over the left center fence to tie the game, 3-3.

– Weis started the fifth by getting a single to center. Keeney then launched a home run to center for a two-run shot. After a groundout, Rawie took a ball over the left field fence for Northwest’s third home run of the game.

Game Two Key Statistics (Northwest 12, Central Missouri 3)
– Northwest scored three in the first, two in the second, three in the fourth and four in the fifth. The Jennies scored once in the third and had two runs in the fourth.

– The Bearcats had 12 runs on 12 hits with two errors. UCM had three runs on just three hits with one error.

– Rachel Smith threw all five innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits. She struck out eight and issued three walks.

– Keeney went 2-for-6 with a pair of home runs. She drove in six runs and scored twice. She also reached on a walk.

– Maher was 2-for-2 with a double, three runs scored, two RBIs and a walk.

– Jaedra Moses went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and had an RBI.

– Weis went 1-for-3 with a home run, three RBIs and three runs scored. She drew two walks.

– Gilson went 2-for-3.

– Kiana Baderdeen had a double and scored a run.

– Rawie was 1-for-3.

– Kenzi Sutton scored a run.

– Allen drew a walk in her only plate appearance.

Game Two Key Innings
– Keeney got Northwest on the board quick with a three-run homer in the first inning, driving in Maher and Weis who each reached base on walks.

– Allen started the second with a walk and was pinch ran for by Sutton. Baderdeen doubled to put runners on second and third with no outs. Maher came up with a two-RBI single to make it 5-0 Northwest.

– In the fourth, Maher doubled to leadoff and Moses singled to put two runners on. Weis then hit the Bearcats’ second home run of the game, giving Northwest an 8-3 lead.

– With one out in the fifth, Maher was hit by a pitch. Moses hit an infield single and went all the way to third after a throwing error on the catcher, allowing Maher to score all the way from first. After Weis walked, Keeney hit her third home run of the day, this time it was a three-run shot that ended the game.
Up Next

– Northwest will face Harding University at noon and Arkansas-Monticello at 2 p.m. on Friday in Bentonville, Ark.

— Northwest Athletics —