Timely hitting pushed Central Missouri to a sweep of Northwest Missouri State as the Jennies used two late inning comebacks to take game one 6-4 and the nightcap 11-8 in MIAA women’s softball action Monday evening.
Northwest fell to 14-24 on the year and 4-9 in league play as last place UCM improved to 18-24 and 4-10 in conference action. The Bearcats continue a busy week as they host non-conference Drury on Wednesday before a home conference series with Washburn and Fort Hays State on the weekend.
Game one saw the Bearcats come back from a 3-0 deficit to score four runs in the third inning taking a 4-3 lead. A home run from Rachael Schmitz gave Northwest its first run followed three batters later by a Kristen Uthe sacrifice fly.
Kayli Schurman blasted her 12th home run of the season, a two-run blast to left giving Northwest the 4-3 lead. The homer also moved Schurman into second for most home runs in a season and just three home runs shy of the single season record.
Starter Jenna Creger, who came off an injury over the weekend, recovered from the three early runs to pitch four scoreless innings for the Bearcats. However, Creger ran into trouble in the top of the seventh allowing three Jennie runs.
Northwest was unable to comeback in the bottom half of the inning falling 6-4.
The nightcap saw the Bearcats again use a big sixth inning rally scoring five runs to take an 8-5 lead. This time it was the Northwest bullpen that was unable to hold UCM as the Jennies scored three runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game and plated another three in extras for the win.
Uthe would go 2-for-4 in the second game adding two RBIs thanks to a third inning home run, her sixth of the season.
Jordan Ereth also went 2-for-4 in the loss with a pair of RBIs and a run scored.
Northwest had managed to put the Jennies down to their final out after a double play ball erased a UCM runner. However, a single and a Bearcat error combined with a walk loaded the bases for the Jennies setting up their comeback.
A bases clearing double from Jordan Marble tied the game in the seventh and UCM put the go-ahead run across on a sacrifice fly in the eighth. UCM added two more runs on a home run and another double for insurance runs, as the Jennies out-hit Northwest 18-6 in game two.
— NWMSU Sports Information —