MARYVILLE, Missouri – The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team ran its season-high win streak to five in a row with a 4-3 triumph over the Fort Hays State Tigers on Saturday at the Bearcat Baseball Field.
Northwest (16-15 overall, 12-8 MIAA) got a three-hit performance from shortstop Logan Rycraft and six solid innings from starter Quintin Van Ackeren.
The Bearcats found themselves in an early hole as the Tigers touched up Van Ackeren for three runs in the first.
Northwest began chipping away at the three-run deficit in the home half of the third. Senior outfielder Derek Hussey led off the inning reaching base on an error. Hussey advanced on the next at bat on a successful sacrifice bunt by senior infielder Logan Rycraft. With two outs, junior infielder stepped into the batter’s box, slapping a single to center field and scoring Hussey from second base.
The Bearcats tied it up in the fourth. Senior Mondesi Gutierrez worked the count and drew a one-out walk. Hussey followed with his second hit of the game – a two-out double to deep left that plated Gutierrez all the way from first. Rycraft came through again with the first of his three hits with a single to center to score Hussey and knot the contest at 3-3.
Northwest took the lead of the contest in the fifth. Calvin Rudoph led off the inning with a single to right. Alixon Herrera tattooed a double down the left field line to move Hussey to third. Matt Gastner hit a sacrifice fly to right that was deep enough for Hussey to tag and score and give Northwest a 4-3 advantage.
Van Ackeren worked around a one-out walk in the sixth and head coach Darin Loe turned it over to the Bearcat bullpen. Alex Slocum worked a perfect seventh and Aaron Easley took advantage of a double play in the eighth to keep the Tigers off the board. Trevor Dudar closed the door in the ninth for his seventh save of the season.
The Bearcats will be back in action Sunday to play game three of the series against the Tigers. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
NOTES: Rycraft recorded his third three-hit game of the season … Hussey notched his 14th multi-hit contest on the year … Rudolph extended his hitting streak to a team-best 11 games in a row … Connor Quick moved his team-leading on-base streak to 15 games.
— Northwest Athletics —