The Northwest Missouri State baseball team’s offense came alive on Friday evening in an 18-4 series opening victory over Fort Hays State at Larks Park. The Bearcats pounded out 18 hits as every Northwest hitter who came to he plate recorded a hit. Northwest moves to 13-8 overall and 9-5 in MIAA play.

Eric McGlauflin and Austin Wulff each had a homerun and four RBIs on the day. It was McGlauflin’s first homer of the season and Wulff’s team-leading fifth longball. Luke Wilkinson had a pinch hit two-run homerun in the seventh. Steven Garber went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Zack Ferreira crossed the plate three times as he went 4-for-5 with a double and an RBI. Jon Pomatto also crossed the plate three times for the Bearcats. Brandon Huske, Blake Hardegree and Paul Johnson each collected two hits, scored two runs and drove in a run on the day. Ryan Abernathy drove in two runs and also crossed the plate once.

Ryker Fox went all seven innings for the Bearcats, allowing just four runs on eight hits. He struckout five batters.

The Bearcats scored once in the first before they exploded for 12 runs in the third on eight hits and one error. Fort Hays would add one in the bottom of the third but Northwest would tack on two more in the fourth, one in the sixth and two in the seventh. The Tigers scored three in the bottom of the seventh.

Northwest will play a doubleheader against the Tigers tomorrow at Larks Park in Hays, Kan., starting at 1 p.m. The four-game series will conclude Sunday at 1 p.m.

— Northwest Sports Information —