The Northwest Missouri State softball team out hit Washburn Saturday, but fell in both games of the double header losing 7-6 in game one, then falling 11-4 in game two.

WU scored early in game one as they put up two runs in each of the first two innings to take a 4-0 lead.

The Bearcats got on the board and took the lead in the top of the third inning as they were able to plate across five runs with RBI’s from Jordan Ereth, Stephanie Mark, Baylee Scarbrough and Chantel Adams.

A home run and an RBI single gave the Ichabods the lead back in the fourth. Northwest was able to answer with a run in the top of the sixth to tie up the game at 6-6.

Scarbrough was stranded on the base path in the top half of the seventh and the Bearcats would have to push the game into extra innings to have a chance to go home with the victory.

Washburn was able to get their leadoff hitter on and with two outs, hit a single up the middle to score the runner from second and claim the 7-6 victory in game one.

Paige Blythe was tagged with the loss, moving her record to 0-2 on the season.

Northwest was able to score first in game two when Taszia Roseberry hit her, team leading, fifth home run of the season in the top of the second. Three more Bearcats were able to cross the plate to take a 4-0 lead.

WU answered with four runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning to tie it up. They added one run in the fourth, two runs in the fifth and four runs in the sixth to take a an 11-4 lead.

The Bearcats were unable to recover as they stranded nine runners on base in the contest.

Abbie Vitosh received the loss in the 11-4 defeat, moving her record to 1-4 on the season.

Northwest’s record moves to 3-8, 0-2 on the season. Head Coach Ryan Anderson’s team will continue conference play Sunday as they take on Emporia State in a double header with first pitch in game one scheduled for noon.

— Northwest Sports Information —

The Northwest Missouri State men’s basketball team captured a tough-fought 70-57 victory over Emporia State on Friday evening at Municipal Auditorium in thequarterfinal round of the MIAA Tournament. Northwest will now advance to face the winner of Missouri Southern and Nebraska-Kearney at 8:15 p.m. on Saturday evening.

The Bearcats (22-7) were paced by 21 points from senior DeShaun Cooper, 14 coming after halftime. He also had a team-high nine rebounds and a steal. Classmate Dillon Starzl added 17 points with six rebounds and two blocked shots. Grant Cozad went 7-for-8 from the charity stripe and finished with 11 points. Emporia State got 26 points from Terrence Moore and 19 from Kaleb Wright as the Hornets finished the season at 18-13.

Northwest rebounded from a 40 percent shooting first half with an efficient12-for-22 (54.5 percent) effort in the second half to finish at 47.6 percent while holding ESU to 21-for-64 shooting (32.8 percent). Northwest only forced nine turnovers but drew 26 personal fouls and shot 38 free throws on the evening, double the Hornets’ total.

The Hornets led by as many as eight in the first half as Moore and Wright each reached double figures in the opening 20 minutes. But grabbed the lead with2:02 left in the first half on a Cooper three pointer and never trailed therest of the way. The score was tied with 1:27 in the first half but Northwest would go on  to score the last four points of the half to lead 29-25 at the break.

Northwest will play the winner of Nebraska-Kearney and Missouri Southern in the MIAA semifinals on Saturday at 8:15 p.m. at Municipal Auditorium.

— Northwest Sports Information —

The Northwest Missouri State baseball team picked up a pair of MIAA victories over Lincoln on Friday afternoon at the LU Baseball Field. Northwest won game one 12-3 and followed it with an 11-7 victory in the night cap. Northwest is now 11-5 on the year and 8-2 in MIAA play. Lincolon drops to 0-10 overall and in conference action.

GAME ONE

Northwest scored the first three runs of the game and never trailed the rest of the way. Paul Johnson, Ryan Abernathy and Austin Wulff each recorded three hit games. Wulff crossed the plate three times and pinch hitter Luke Wilkinson had three RBI homerun in the ninth to seal the win. The Bearcats collected 14 hits and seven different players scored on the day.

Hondo Pearcy went 6.0 innings, allowing just three runs, two earned, on five hits. Andrew Trout finished out the final inning.

GAME TWO

Northwest jumped out to an early 6-0 lead on the Blue Tigers but Lincoln responded with four runs in the third, one in the fifth and two in the sixth to take a 7-6 lead into the seventh. But timely hitting for the Bearcats pushed across three runs in the top of the seventh and added two more in the eighth for the win. Northwest finished the game with 14 hits.

Blane Reutter picked up his second win of the season, coming in relief of starter Kole Klocko and Rob Henrichs. Reutter pitched 2.2 innings, allowing no runs on two hits with three strikeouts. Klocko and Henrichs each had four strikeouts on the day. Abernathy continued his hot hitting, going 3-for-5 with four runs scored and a pair of RBI. Paul Johnson was 3-for-4 with three runs scored, an RBI and a walk. Eric McGlauflin was 3-for-5 with four RBI and one run scored.

Northwest will play a Wednesday game at William Jewell on Wednesday, March 12, in Liberty, Mo., before returning home to host Southwest Baptist starting on Friday, March 14.

— Northwest Sports Information —

The Northwest Missouri State baseball team won both games of a Thursday doubleheader against Lincoln, 9-2 and 7-1, respectively. The wins move Northwest to 9-5 overall and 6-2 in MIAA play. Lincoln is now 0-8 and 0-6 in MIAA play.

GAME ONE

Ryker Fox went 5.0 innings to pick up his third win of the year, giving up two runs on just three hits with four strikeouts. Tanner Smith finished off thelast two innings of the seven inning first game.

The Bearcats jumped out to an 8-0 lead, scoring in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings. In the second, a Zach Ferreira double cleared the bases,scoring Derek Meyer, Jon Pomatto and Steve Garber. In the third, Austin Wulff hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Paul Johnson. That same inning Eric McLaughlinscored on a wild pitch from Lincoln. Ferreira picked up another RBI in the fourth, doubling to score Meyer to give Northwest a 6-0 lead. In the fifth,Garber singled to score McGlauflin and Wulff scored on a fielder’s choice on Pomatto. Lincoln would score two runs in the sixth but Northwest tacked on an insurance run in the seventh as Pomatto scored on a Brandon Huske groundout.

Northwest outhit Lincoln, 10-4.

GAME TWO

Austin Warren turned in a complete game performance to give Northwest a 7-1victory to close out the day. Warren, who allowed just one unearned run, walked just one batter and gave up five hits while striking out three for his first victory of the year. Northwest picked up 12 hits and drew four walks.

In the third, Northwest scored the first run of the game as McGlauflin doubled to center scoring Johnson. Neither team was able to score again until the eighth when the Bearcats came alive, scoring four times to take a firm hold on the game. With the bases loaded, Pomatto doubled to score Wulff and McGlauflin. Blake Hardegree grounded out, scoring Garber and a Ferreira single scored Pomatto to give Northwest a 5-0 lead. In the top of the ninth with Lincoln still scoreless, Wulff blasted his team-leading third home run, scoring Abernathy after a Blue Tiger error extended the inning. The lone blemish onWarren’s day on the mound came in the ninth as an error to lead off the inning eventually came back to score on an RBI single with one out. Warren got thelast two Lincoln batters to fly out to end the nine inning game.

The Blue Tigers and the Bearcats will play a double header Saturday beginning at noon.

— Northwest Sports Information —

The Northwest Missouri State men’s basketball team was ranked fourth in the latest NCAA Division II regional rankings on Wednesday. The top eight teams in each region advance to the NCAA tournament with the top regional seed serving ashost. The Bearcats won a share of the 2013-14 MIAA regular season title, going 21-7 overall and 16-3 in league play.

The Bearcats will face Emporia State in the quarterfinals of the MIAA Tournament on Friday night at 6 p.m. at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. Northwest beat the Hornets, 89-68, earlier this season at Bearcat Arena.

The NCAA Selection Show is scheduled for Sunday, March 9 at 9:30 p.m. CST on NCAA.com.

Below are the Central Region Rankings for Wednesday, March 5.

Rk     Team     DII Record     In-Region Record
1     Central Missouri     20-4     20-3
2     Minnesota State-Mankato     23-4     22-3
3     Missouri Southern State     18-5     16-5
4     Northwest Missouri State     18-7     18-6
5     Winona State     21-5     21-5
6     Fort Hays State     20-6     20-6
7     Arkansas Tech     19-7     19-7
8     Washburn     14-9     12-9
9     Minnesota State-Moorhead     17-7     17-7
10     Arkansas-Monticello     15-9     14-8

— Northwest Sports Information —

The Northwest Missouri State track and field teams had three student-athletes represented on the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Region team for the 2013-14 Division II indoor track & field season. The teams are comprised of the top five individuals in each event from each region.

On the men’s side, Eli Smith and Nolan Zimmer each earned all-region honors in the 400 and 5,000 meters, respectively. Lekiesha Mcknight was all-central region in the shot put.

Lekiesha Mcknight qualified for the NCAA Championships to be held on March 14-15 at Winston Salem State in North Carolina.

— Northwest Sports Information —

Northwest Missouri State men’s basketball senior DeShaun Cooper was named the MIAA Player of the Year in a release from the conference office on Tuesday. Zach Schneider was named the conference’s Freshman of the Year. The awards are voted upon by the league’s head coaches.

Cooper, who also earned first-team honors in 2011-12, was a unanimous first-team selection and was joined by Dillon Starzl who earned second team honors. Senior Bryston Williams was named to the All-Defensive team and also earned league honorable mention accolades with sophomore Conner Crooker.

The Bearcats have had three Player of the Year honors since 2004, as Cooper joins Hunter Henry (2007) and Kelvin Parker (2004) as recent award recipients. Cooper earned second team honors in 2011. Schneider becomes the fourth Bearcat to earn the Freshman of the Year award and the first since 2009-10 when Cooper won the award. Williams is now the seventh player to be named to the All-Defensive team.

Northwest earned the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament and will await the winner of the Southwest Baptist vs. Emporia State game. The quarterfinal game will be played at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 7, at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.

— Northwest Sports Information —

A cold stretch in the first half and another one with 10 minutes remaining in the game put an end to the Northwest Missouri State women’s basketball season.

Northwest lost 47-42 to Northeastern State Monday evening at Bearcat Arena in the first round of the MIAA Tournament. Northwest finished the season 10-17 overall and 7-12 in conference.

“It is a tough one, really hard to swallow,” said Northwest senior point guard Monique Stevens. “You really want your last game to be your best game. We just couldn’t find the rim tonight. That is what hurt us the most.”

As it turned out, it was a season of adjustments for the Bearcats. Most of the juniors were playing for their third coach in three seasons and that is difficult.

The Bearcats, though, put up a fight to continue their season. Even when shots weren’t falling, they were playing hard on defense.

“Our defense was pretty good throughout the game,” said junior Ashleigh Nelson, who went 5-for-9 from three-point range and finished with 18 points. “We let them shoot way too high percentage from the three-point line in the first half.”

For the most part, Northwest shut that down in the second half and played solid defense to stay close. They tied the game at 34-34 and 36-36, both times on baskets by Annie Mathews.

After those field goals, it was a struggle for the Bearcats on the offensive end. Northwest only made five field goals the entire second half. Still, with 6 minutes left, Northwest trailed only 40-37.

But then Northeastern junior Fontana Tate, a three-point specialist, drove into the lane for a 10-footer. On the next possession, Tate made her fourth three-pointer of the game, giving the RiverHawks a 45-37 lead with 4:50 left.

“Monique did a pretty good job guarding her throughout the night, but if she got her feet set and had a split second to get a look at the basket, it was pretty much going in,” Nelson said.

Northeastern went the next 3 minutes, 30 seconds without scoring. The Bearcats scored just three points over that period, closing to 45-40 with 1:20 left.

The Bearcats were forced to foul, hoping Northeastern would miss its free throw shots. The first time it worked. Northeastern made one free throw. The Bearcats quickly capitalized with a basket in the paint by Ariel Easton, pulling Northwest to within four at 46-42 with 1:10 left.

Northwest got the ball back on a jump ball four seconds later but failed to take advantage of the opportunity. The turnover bug that has haunted the Bearcats all season, bit them again.

The Bearcats still had a chance. Northeastern missed the front end of a 1-and-1 two times in a row. The Bearcats simply couldn’t make a basket to pull closer despite the RiverHawks missing five straight free throws.

“We were given every opportunity,” Stevens said. “They missed so many free throws at the end. It was like all we had to do was get a basket and a stop. It was right at our finger tips.”

Late in the first half, Northwest was in trouble. The Bearcats trailed 26-16 and saw Northeastern make six three-pointers.

The Bearcats couldn’t afford to let their deficit grow and they didn’t. A three-pointer by Nelson sparked a 10-0 run that tied the game at 26-26.

Northeastern went into halftime with a three-point lead because the RiverHawks made one a more trey and this was near NBA range from Chelsey Beathard.

Considering the way the Bearcats played midway through the first half, they were fortunate to be down by only three at halftime.

— Northwest Sports Information —

The Northwest Missouri State women’s basketball team had two players honored by the MIAA Monday, Ariel Easton and Annie Mathews.

Junior guard Ariel Easton was named to the All-MIAA third team as she finished the regular season fourth in scoring average in the conference with 15.9 points per game. Easton led the Bearcats in scoring with 414 points while pulling down 119 rebounds.

Junior center Annie Mathews was selected as All-MIAA Honorable Mention after leading Northwest in field goal percentage (52%), free throw percentage (85%) , and rebounds (7.5/ game). This is the first All-MIAA selection for Mathews.

The Bearcats will play host to Northeastern State tonight for the first round of the MIAA Tournament. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

— Northwest Sports Information —

The Northwest Missouri State men’s basketball team fell to UCM in the final game of the regular season, 76-64, on Saturday at the Multi in Warrensburg, Mo. Northwest finishes the season as co-MIAA champions, going 21-7 overall and 16-3 in conference play. UCM secured a share of the MIAA title and finished the year with a 24-4 record, tying the Bearcats with a 16-3 league record.

Dillon Starzl scored a game-high 18 points but was saddled with four fouls midway through the second half. DeShaun Cooper finished with 16 points, three assists and a steal. He was a perfect 7-for-7 from the line. Zach Schneider hit four clutch three pointers to finish with 12 points. Matt Wallace had a team-high seven rebounds. Northwest shot 40 percent from the field (20-for-50) but turned the ball over 15 times. UCM shot 51 percent from the field (26-for-51) and blocked three shots.

UCM jumped out to an early first half lead thanks to a 53.6 shooting percentage, as the Mules went 15-for-28 from the field. Starzl led all scorers with 14 at the break. The Mules led by as many as 14 points, 35-21, at the 6:23 mark.

Northwest will be the No. 2 seed in the upcoming MIAA tournament in Kansas City. The Bearcats will play the winner of the No. 10 and No. 7 seed game at 6 p.m. on Friday, March. 7 at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.

— Northwest Sports Information —