The Northwest Missouri State softball team hosted Northern State at Bearcat Field Friday and combined for a two game total of 38 runs as the Bearcats took the first game 4-1 and game two 17-16 in extra innings.
Northern State took an early lead as they plated one run in the top of the first inning of game one. The Bearcats were held scoreless by Wolves starter, Smesmo, until the third inning.
Rachel Schmitz led the inning off with a walk followed by a Jordan Ereth double to put runners at second and third. Candace Miller hit a double to left field to score Schmitz and move Ereth to third.
Stephanie Price then laid down a bunt and beat it out to load the bases for Kristen Uthe. Uthe smacked a bases clearing double to left center field to put Northwest up 4-1.
Smesmo settled in for the Wolves and did not allow another run. However it was the Bearcats starter who earned the upper hand as Jenna Creger also fell into a groove in the circle not allowing any hits after the first inning.
Creger set down 18 consecutive batters in order on her way to her seventh victory of the season. The senior pitcher collected seven strikeouts as the Bearcats claimed a 4-1 victory.
Game two was an offensive slugfest that consisted of six home runs, three doubles, a triple and 17 runners left on base.
Northern State scored two runs in the top of the fourth and two more in the third. Northwest was able to run across five runs in the first, six runs in the second and four more runs in the third to go up 15-4.
The Wolves battled back scoring two runs in the fourth, six runs in the fifth and four runs in the sixth while the Bearcats were added one run in the fourth inning. The Wolves had come back from an 11 run deficit to tie the game at 16 and push it into extra innings.
International tie-breaker rules were in effect in the eighth inning and NSU ended up stranding a runner on third.
In the bottom half of the inning Kylie Cantrell was placed on second base and moved to third on a Rachel Schmitz sacrifice bunt. Ereth proceeded to hit a walk-off single up the middle to end the game as Northwest claimed a 17-16 win.
Hailee Hendricks, Stephanie Price and Cantrell all hit home runs for the Bearcats. Kristine Labertew and Hendricks combined to finish 5-for-8 with six RBIs and four runs scored.
Abbie Vitosh was the starting pitcher for Northwest but got a no-decision. Morgan Brunmeier picked up her first win of the season with 4.1 innings of work.
The Bearcats will be back on the road to take on Pittsburg State March 29 for a double-header at 3 p.m. Northwest will continue its road swing the following day at Missouri Southern in a twin bill starting at noon.
— NWMSU Sports Information —