With a two game total of 29 hits and 25 runs the Northwest Missouri State softball team was able to defeat Rockhurst 13-1 in game one, then 12-7 in game two, Wednesday.

The bats were out early for the Bearcats who scored five runs in the top of the first inning in game one.

Northwest and RU both plated one run in the second inning.

The Bearcats then put up six runs on four hits in the top of the third inning to take a 12-1 lead before adding one more in the fifth inning.

Abbie Vitosh silenced the RU bats and went the distance for the win on her way to her fourth complete game of the season. Vitosh walked only one, while giving up five hits and allowing only 1 run and striking out a season high seven batters.

Torri Blythe went 4 for 4 with an RBI while scoring three times in the contest. Kristin Uthe went 3 for 3 with four RBIs as she hit her second long ball of the season over the left center field fence.

Northwest picked up in game two where they left off in game one as they got on the board in the first inning with two runs.

RU plated one run in the bottom of the first and then tied the game up at 2-2 with a run in the second.

Baylee Scarbrough singled in Stephanie Mark in the third inning to take back the lead, 3-2.

A three run home run by RU in the bottom half of the third put them up 5-3.

The bats came back out for the Bearcats in the fifth inning as they drove in four runs, and then again in the seventh when they added five runs.

RU could only manage two runs in the bottom of the seventh as Sarah Baldwin got the win in the 12-7 victory.

Chantel Adams was 3 for 5 in game two scoring twice and driving in two runs while hitting her fifth home run of the season. Adams currently leads the Bearcats with 19 runs driven in this season.

Baldwin moves her season record to 5-4 as she collected her fourth complete game of the season.

Head Coach Ryan Anderson’s team will head to St. Joseph, Mo. for the Missouri Western Classic. The Bearcats will play five games in three days beginning on Friday when they take on Concordia-St. Paul for a 10 a.m. start.

— Northwest Sports Information —

The Northwest Missouri State men’s basketball team fell to the University of Central Missouri on Tuesday night, 60-59, in overtime at the Taylor Center in Mankato, Minn. UCM advances to the Elite Eight as the winners of the Central Region championship in the NCAA Division II tournament. Northwest finishes the season at 24-9, the highest win total in head coach Ben McCollum’s five year tenure with the Bearcats. UCM improved to 27-5.

Senior DeShaun Cooper led all scorers with 24 points. In three games, Cooper scored 78 points (26.0), and was named to the All-Central Region tournamentteam. He finishes his career as Northwest’s fourth all-time leading scorer with 1,702 points. Senior Tyler Funk provided a spark off the bench, scoring eight points for Northwest.

Northwest shot 32.1 percent for the game (18-for-56) from the field and hit8-of-24 three pointers (33.3 percent). The Bearcats held a 20-15 advantage in points off the bench and 11-1 edge in points off turnovers.

The game featured 17 lead changes and the score was tied 12 times during the contest. Both defenses held tight in the second half after Northwest held a26-22 lead at the break. The score was tied at 43-43 with 7:19 left in the second half as both defenses dug in, allowing just three points to each side down the stretch. A pair of free throws from Daylen Robinson put UCM up by one with 3:05 left before Cooper hit a jumper to give Northwest the lead with 1:41 to go, 46-45. UCM’s Charles Hammork hit a free throw with 26 seconds to tie the game but missed the second giving the Bearcats a chance with 26 seconds left. But a three pointer from senior Bryston Williams wouldn’t fall and the game went to overtime, tied 26-26.

In the overtime, Northwest led just once on a Cooper free throw with 1:57 to go. Down one, Robinson hit a three pointer with 28 seconds left to give UCM a four-point lead, 59-55. Cooper responded by drawing a foul and hitting a pair of free throws. After Robinson missed a pair of free throws, Northwest was unable to hit a three and fouled Robinson with two seconds left, but Robinson was called for a technical after the play. Williams hit the two technical free throws before Robinson went to the line to shoot his foul shots for the Mules. After missing the first free throw, Robinson hit the second, leaving Northwest down by one, 60-59, with two seconds left. Cooper got a look from just inside the half court line but the shot hit the rim and bounced off as the buzzer sounded.

— Northwest Sports Information —

After a change in venue gave them a home game, the Northwest Missouri State baseball team was able to walk away with a 4-3 win over William Jewell in front of their home crowd Tuesday.

WJC was able to get on the board first with a three run home run in the top of the third.

In the bottom half of the same inning Brandon Huske answered with a two out double to the wall that scored Blake Hardegree from first base to plate the Bearcats first run of the game.

Pitching dominated the next three innings as both offenses were held scoreless.

Zac Ferreira led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a single up the middle, which was followed by a single off the bat of Jon Pomatto. Steve Garber moved the runners to second and third with a sac bunt for the first out of the inning. Hardegree then stepped to the plate and deposited his first collegiate home run over the left field fence to put his team up 4-3.

Northwest used five pitchers in the game with Bex Trout earning the victory. Taylor Bruch, Nikko Pablo and Pomatto finished the last three innings of the contest as they combined to give up one walk, one hit, while striking out two. Pomatto closed the door in the ninth inning to net his second save of the season.

With the victory, the Bearcats move to 12-8, 8-5 on the season and will get back to MIAA competition as they travel to Fort Hays, Kan. for a four game series. Game one is scheduled for 5 p.m. Friday and will be a nine inning affair.

— Northwest Sports Information —