JOPLIN, Missouri – The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team split a pair of games on day two of the MIAA/GLVC Crossover.
Northwest tallied an 8-2 triumph over Rockhurst before falling to Missouri Southern in the nightcap, 12-5.
Game One vs. Rockhurst
The first three innings at Warren Turner Field were quiet as neither team could get the on the scoreboard.
This was until the Bearcats struck first in the top of the fourth inning, prompted by a lead off hit to center by senior catcher Alixon Herrera. Herrera advanced to second base after junior first baseman Connor Quick drew a walk. Herrera and Quick moved to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore infielder Peter Carlson. Northwest got the opening run on the scoreboard after Herrera scored from third on a sacrifice fly to right from junior infielder Calvin Rudolph. Quick also advanced to third on the play. The second run of the inning came when Rockhurst pitcher Jack Eisenbarger committed an error, allowing Quick to score.
Keeping the Hawks scoreless in the bottom of the fourth, Northwest added another run in the fifth inning, thanks to an RBI double by senior catcher Jay Hrdlicka that plated senior infielder Mondesi Gutierrez.
Rockhurst tallied two runs in the bottom of the fifth to trim the Northwest lead to 3-2.
The Bearcat pitching duo of junior Joe Funkhouser and freshman Gibson Brown kept the Hawks in check. Funkhouser drew the start and went six innings allowing four hits and two runs while striking out nine. Gibson came on in the seventh and earend his first collegiate save. Gibson tossed three innings of one-hit relief.
Northwest’s offense provided some much needed cushion in the top of the ninth as the Bearcats put a five-spot on the board to increase the lead to 8-2. Hrdlicka added his second RBI double of the game, while junior Connor Quick provided an RBI single. Ryan Koski drew a bases loaded walk for the third run of the inning. Gutierrez ripped a two-RBI single to center to close out the scoring.
Northwest improved to 4-5 on the season heading into the matchup with Missouri Southern.
NOTES: Funkhouser got his first win of the season (1-1) … Hrdlicka and Hussey had team-high three hits – Hussey’s fifth multi-hit game of the season.
Game Two vs. Missouri Southern
Northwest jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning following a leadoff double from Gutierrez to open the contest. Hussey walked to give Northwest runners on first and second. Hrdlicka grounded out to first base, moving the base runners to second and third. Alixon Herrera drove in Gutierrez and Hussey with a double to right center.
Missouri Southern evened the matchup at 2-2 in the bottom of the third.
Quick homered to right field to open up the top of the fourth to give Northwest a one run lead at 3-2. Logan Rycraft served up two-out RBI single to left field that scored Rudolph. Rycraft would complete his journey around the base paths on another two-out RBI single from Gutierrez.
After posting five runs in the first four innings against the Lions, the Bearcat offense would go dormant and the home squad tallied 10 unanswered runs to take it 12-5. Northwest had six hits in the opening four innings and was limited two three hits in the final five innings of action.
Missouri Southern went on to score two in the fourth, took the lead with two more in the fifth and added a six-run sixth to give the Lions a seven-run lead.
Six pitchers made an appearance for the Bearcats during the outing. Sophomore Max Spitzmiller got the start on the mound, going 4 2/3 innings while giving up six runs on six hits and recording five strikeouts.
Northwest fell to 4-6 on the season, while Missouri Southern improves to 7-3.
NOTES: Herrera is riding a seven-game hitting streak…Gutierrez, Hussey, Hrdlicka and Quick extended their on-base streaks to ten games…Quick-18, Hussey-17, Hrdlicka-16, Herrera-14 and Gutierrez-13 are all ranked in the top-10 in the MIAA in hits.
— Northwest Athletics —