EMPORIA, Kansas – The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team clinched its third consecutive winning season in the MIAA with a 7-3 road win over Emporia State University on Saturday.
Starter Quintin Van Ackeren went eight innings, Derek Hussey posted his first four-hit game of his collegiate career and Matt Gastner launched a three-run homer in the seventh to lift the Bearcats to their second straight win over the Hornets.
After a quiet first inning, the Bearcats got on the scoreboard in the second when Hussey launched a solo homer to left field.
In the home half of the third, the Hornets returned the favor and hit a solo shot of their own; flying one to left field and evening the score up at one run apiece.
After Northwest went scoreless in the top of the fourth, Emporia State plated two more with a two-run shot in the bottom of the inning to take the lead, 3-1.
As both teams put zeros on the scoreboard during the fifth and sixth innings, the Bearcat offense heated up in the top of the seventh. Northwest rallied to score five runs on three hits and take the lead back from Emporia State, 6-3. Mondesi Gutierrez led off the inning by reaching on a Hornet error and giving the Bearcats life on the base paths. Gutierrez was called out at second on a fielder’s choice as Logan Rycraft reached first base. Rycraft advanced to third on the next at bat after a wild pitch was thrown. Peter Carlson reached on another fielder’s choice, giving Northwest runners on first and third. Rycraft was driven in from third base and Carlson moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Calvin Rudolph who reached base on the play. The Bearcats drove in their second run of the inning as Connor Quick singled to right field, scoring Carlson from second and advancing Rudolph to third base. Gastner stepped into the box with two outs and capped the five-run rally by smashing a three-run home run to left.
Northwest would add one more insurance run in the top of the ninth to increase their lead to 7-3 over Emporia State.
Trevor Dudar worked the ninth to secure the Bearcat victory. Northwest improved to 22-25 overall and 17-15 in MIAA action.
The Bearcats and Hornets will be back in action tomorrow for game three of the series at 12 p.m. at the Trusler Sports Complex. Sunday will mark the conclusion of the Bearcats’s regular season slate with the MIAA Tournament set for May 9-12 at Al Ortolani Field in Pittsburg, Kansas.
NOTES: The last time Northwest had three consecutive winning seasons in the MIAA came in 2006, 2007 and 2008 … Van Ackeren threw 98 pitches and scattered seven hits over nine innings and moved to 5-2 on the year … Quick has reached base in 31 consecutive games.
— Northwest Athletics —