KANSAS CITY, Missouri – The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team split a non-conference doubleheader at Rockhust University on Wednesday.
The Bearcats scored a 6-4, eight-inning win in the opener, only to see the Hawks rally in the nightcap for a 7-5 triumph.
GAME ONE
Northwest scored an extra-inning triumph over Rockhurst with a pair of runs in the eighth inning to take it, 6-4.
Connor Quick had a two-hit game to extend his hitting streak to 18 in a row, but it was Derek Hussey who came through with a one-out, two-run single to left field that provided the winning runs in the opener.
Alixon Herrera scored an unearned run in the second to give the Bearcats a 1-0 lead. Herrera doubled to lead off the second and moved to third on a passed ball. Matt Gastner hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Herrera.
After giving up a solo homer in the bottom half of the second, Northwest plated a pair of runs in the third. Jordan Peck posted a leadoff double and eventually scored on a Logan Rycraft single to right. Rycraft stole second and scored on an error during Quick’s at bat in the third.
The Bearcats extended the margin to three runs in the fourth. For the third consecutive inning Northwest had its leadoff batter double – this time it was Peter Carlson with the two-bagger. Hussey moved him over to third on a sacrifice bunt and Carlson scored on a sac fly from Rycraft.
Northwest had built a 4-1 lead through three and a half innings before Rockhurst notched a run in the fourth and two more in the sixth to even it up at 4-4.
Trevor Dudar pitched the seventh and got the win, while Aaron Easley worked around a walk in the eighth to earns his second save of the season.
GAME TWO
Northwest looked to take both ends of the doubleheader as the Bearcats built a 5-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth. However, Rockhurst rallied with three in the fourth and four in the sixth to get the split, 7-5.
A leadoff double from Gastner in the second was followed by another double from Mondesi Gutierrez to put the Bearcats on the board, 1-0. Hussey laced a single to left that scored Gutierrez and gave the Bearcats a 2-0 cushion. Hussey stole second and claimed both third and home on wild pitches for a 3-0 Bearcat advantage. Northwest had a chance to blow the contest wide open, but left the bases loaded in the second.
The Bearcats added to the lead in the fourth. Hussey led off with a single to left. Rycraft reached on a bunt single to the pitcher and Calvin Rudolph loaded the bases when he was hit by a pitch. Quick drew a bases loaded walk to score Hussey. Herrera then lifted a sac fly to center to make it 5-0 in favor of the Bearcats. However, Northwest failed to do any more damage as Rudolph was picked off and Gastner flied out to left.
The Hawks got to Bearcat starter Tristan Ledger in the fourth for three runs. Max Ross relieved him with two out in the fourth and got out of a bases loaded jam with the Bearcats holding a 5-3 lead.
Russell Simmons retired the side in order in the fifth, but ran into trouble in the sixth. Simmons got two outs in the sixth but left the bases loaded following a single and two walks. Jarret Cronin came on and induced a ground ball to Rycraft at shortstop, but a throwing error allowed two runs to score and the game was tied. The Hawks came through with a two-out two-RBI single to extend the Rockhurst lead to 7-5.
The Bearcats attempted a two-out rally in the seventh. Peter Carlson worked the count full and drew a walk. Gutierrez then reached on an error to put the tying runs on base. However, Jordan Peck struck out to end it.
Simmons suffered the loss and dropped to 0-3 on the year.
NOTES: Rycraft had a three-hit game in the second contest … Hussey went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI in the nightcap … Quick’s 18-game hitting streak was snapped in the second game, but he drew a walk to extend his consecutive on-base games streak to 26 in a row.
— Northwest Athletics —