The Missouri Western baseball team used a five run inning in both game one two helping them come away with two more victories by scores of 10-4 and 7-2 against Northwest Missouri State Tuesday afternoon. The Griffons have won 16 games in a row improving to 17-3 overall and 12-0 in MIAA play.
Game 1
MWSU 10, NWMSU 4
The Griffons opened up game one with a flurry hitting two home run in the first inning guiding MWSU to a 5-0 lead after a half an inning. Bubba Dotson hit his fifth homer of the year while Grant Fink smacked his eighth giving MWSU the 4-0 lead. With two outs Jimmy Smelcer hit a single and later scored on a Jake Schrader single to center field.
The Griffons continued the scoring a run in the second and one in the third taking a 7-0 lead before the Bearcats got on the board. Northwest got on the board in the bottom of the third when Steven Garber hit a homer to right field giving cuting the Griffon lead to 7-1.
In the fifth Spencer Shockley opened the inningn with a walk and later scored on a Smelcer single getting back the run the Bearcats scored in the third giving MWSU the 8-1 lead. In the bottom of the fifth the Griffon pitchers stuggled finding the strike zone as Northwest scored three runs cutting the lead to 8-4 after five innings.
MWSU answered once again in the sixth scoring two more runs on three hits which included Dotson scoring on a Shockley double. The rest of the game belonged to Mark Spreckels as he pitched 2.1 innings givng up zero hits while striking out two.
Smelcer led the charge with three hits while Dotson, Nate Ramler and Shawn Egge all had two. Oliver Kadey picked up the victory going four innings giving up three hits and four earned runs. He improves to 4-0 with the victory.
Northwest had just three hits in the game. Blane Reutter picked up the loss going one inning giving up six hits and five earned runs. He falls to 1-3 with the loss.
Game 2
MWSU 7, NWMSU 2
In game two the Griffons scored five runs in the fourth inning and got a strong pitching performance from Jerad Hawkins getting the 7-2 victory. Hawkins improves to 2-0 going seven innings giving up six hits and one earned run while striking out three. Kyle Kelly pitched two innings giving up two hits with two strikeouts.
The Griffons struck first once again in the game two in the top of the first when Michael Schulze singled and scored on a Kyle Simpson single to center field.
The score stayed 1-0 until the bottom of the second when NWMSU scratched a run across tying the score at one.
In the top of the fourth Simpson led off with a double and then with two outs Fink hit his ninth homer of the season giving MWSU the 3-1 lead. From there Smelcer singled, Schrader doubled, Egge doubled and Schulze single scoring three more runs giving MWSU the 6-1 lead after four and a half.
In the sixth Schrader singled to center and later scored on a fielder’s choice by Dotson giving MWSU the 7-1 lead. The Bearcats got one more but fall to 6-16 overall and 4-13 in MIAA play.
The Griffons had 14 hits with Schulze and Simpson both getting three hits. Fink, Smelcer and Schrader all had two hits.
The Bearcats had eight hits with Garber going 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Austin Warren falls to 1-3 going six innings giving up 12 hits and seven earned runs while striking out eight.
The Griffons return to action on Saturday, March 23 when they host the Central Oklahoma Bronchos in an MIAA doubleheader. Game times are set for 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm from the Griffon Baseball Field at the Spring Sports Complex.
— MWSU Sports Information —