BOLIVAR, Missouri – The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team completed a three-game road series sweep of Southwest Baptist with a 2-1 victory on Friday afternoon.

Sophomore pitcher Max Spitzmiller had a strong showing on the mound for the Bearcats (9-10, 5-4 MIAA), tossing seven innings while giving up one earned run on six hits and striking out seven Southwest Baptist hitters.

For the two squads, scoring runs was very hard to come by. Southwest Baptist finally broke the scoreless tie in the third inning after senior catcher Hunter Hisky hit an opposite field home run down the right field line. This would be Southwest Baptist’s only run scored on the afternoon.

Northwest evened it up in the sixth with a run of its own. Senior outfielder Derek Hussey led off with a single to center field. Hussey advanced to second on a ground out by senior infielder Logan Rycraft. With one out, senior catcher Jay Hrdlicka hit his sixth double of the season to right center, scoring Hussey.

Junior Ethan Griswold and freshman Max Ross both pitched in the eighth for Northwest, neither allowing a hit. Griswold walked two, but Ross got out of the jam with a strikeout.

The Bearcats scored the go-ahead and winning run in the top of the ninth when senior catcher Alixon Herrera crossed home plate on an RBI single by sophomore infielder Matt Gastner.

Senior pitcher Trevor Dudar walked onto the mound in the ninth to complete his fourth save of the 2019 season. Dudar struck out the side to end the ball game.

NOTES: Hrdlicka notched his third three-hit game of the season … Hrdlicka is currently on a five game streak reaching base … Northwest has five players with 20 or more hits this season in Hrklicka (24), Hussey (24), Connor Quick (23), Herrera (22) and Mondesi Gutierrez (20) … Dudar has struck out 15 batters in 10 1/3 innings worked this season.

— Northwest Athletics —