MARYVILLE, Missouri – The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team used a 17-hit attack to score a 14-9 win over the Washburn Ichabods at the Bearcat Baseball Field on Sunday afternoon.
All nine batters recorded at least one hit and scored a run as the Bearcats took a lead, saw the Ichabods come back only to have the home squad put it away late with eight runs in its final two at bats.
Washburn took a 2-0 lead in the second but Bearcat starter Max Spitzmiller avoided more damage by cutting down a runner at the plate on a comebacker.
The Bearcat offense started churning in the third. Logan Rycraft started the inning by being hit by a pitch. As the lineup rolled over, Peter Carlson singled to left to put runners on the corners. Calvin Rudolph drew a walk to load the bases. Connor Quick singled to left to clear the bases. The Washburn left fielder charged the ball and had it roll under his glove allowing Rudolph to score from first. Alixon Herrera followed with an RBI single to score Quick and give Northwest a 4-2 lead.
Spitzmiller allowed only one hit in the third, fourth and fifth innings as he put up zeroes on the scoreboard.
Washburn struck for three runs in the sixth to chase Spitzmiller. Spitzmiller went 5 1/3 innings and gave up six hits and five earned runs with one strikeout. Gibson Brown came on in the sixth to extinguish the Ichabods by striking out both batters, but Washburn had taken a 5-4 lead.
Derek Hussey’s one-out single and a walk by Rycraft put two runners on for Rudolph. Rudulph roped a two-out two-RBI double to left giving the Bearcats a 6-5 lead.
Washburn got to Brown in the seventh for four runs, including a three-run bomb to left-center by Michael Oyervides.
But the Bearcats refused to go quietly and rattled the bats again in the seventh for four-spot of their own. Matt Gastner singled to start the rally and Jay Hrdlicka followed with a walk. Mondesi Gutierrez came through with his first home run of the season and fourth homer as a Bearcat. Gutierrez’s three-run bomb tied the game at 9-9. Hussey kept the hits coming with a hotshot to third. Hussey stole second and advanced to third on a single from Rycraft. Carlson then laid down a squeeze bunt that scored Hussey and gave the Bearcats a 10-9 lead.
Aaron Easley worked a 1-2-3 eighth inning with a strikeout for the Bearcats.
Northwest added four insurance runs in the eighth. Quick and Herrera tallied back-to-back doubles to start the eighth. Gastner knocked in Herrera with a single to make to 12-9. Hrdlicka singled to put runners on first and second. Hussey singled up the middle with one out to score Gastner for the third run of the inning. Rycraft ripped an RBI-single to left to complete Hrdlicka’s path around the bases and give Northwest a 14-9 lead.
Trevor Dudar worked the ninth and allowed a hit to go along with a strikeout to finish off the Bearcat victory.
Northwest and Washburn will close the three-game series with a doubleheader Monday beginning at noon.
NOTES: Connor Quick and Derek Hussey notched three hits … Quick has 13 multi-hit games, including a trio of three-hit games … Hussey has 12 multi-hit contests … this was Hussey’s sixth three-hit game … Gutierrez tallied a team-high three RBI … Herrera extended his hitting streak to eight games … eight different starters recorded at least one RBI … Gibson earned the win and moved to 3-1 on the season.
— Northwest Athletics —