For the second time in two years the Northwest Missouri State men’s tennis team traveled south and handed national power Drury University its first loss of the season with a 5-4 victory Sunday at the Cooper Indoor Tennis Complex.

The Bearcats, who dropped a heartbreaker against regional foe Ouachita Baptist Saturday, rebounded with a huge early season victory. The win moves the Bearcats record to 2-1 on the young season and gives the Panthers their first loss at 5-1.

Northwest looked in trouble early as the Panthers raced out to an early 2-1 lead in doubles play. Alvaro Riveros and Dylan Bernatzky picked up the lone win for the Bearcats with an 8-2 win at No. 3 doubles over Dmitri Lebedyev and Jorge Nadal.

However, the Bearcats took over in singles play as 38th-ranked Sergio De Vilchez defeated 30th-ranked Andy Blair in three sets, 6-2, 2-6, 7-6. Blair was the defending ITA Midwest Regional singles champion, as De Vilchez had fallen in the Central Region finals last fall.

Still needing three more wins the Bearcats No. 4 and No. 5 positions helped move the match closer to a Northwest victory. Riveros claimed a 6-2, 6-4 win at No. 4 singles as Guilherme Narducci was a 6-2, 7-5 winner at No. 5 singles.

Sophomore Jason Harris would be the deciding point for the Bearcats as Harris fought for a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Jorge Nadal at the No. 6 position. Harris sealed the 5-4 win for Northwest which was the second win over Drury in the last two seasons.

The win also gives the Bearcats back-to-back wins over the Panthers for the first time since the 1996-97 seasons.

Northwest returns to the court Friday when the Bearcats host Southeastern Oklahoma in their home opener at Frank Grube Courts. The match with the Savage Storm starts a three-game home swing as the Bearcats entertain Missouri-St. Louis Saturday and Missouri Valley March 6.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

It was not the Sunday Coach Anderson had planned for his Northwest Missouri State women’s softball team as they took game one 1-0, but then lost the next two 5-1 and 4-2 to finish out the NSIC/MIAA Crossover tournament.

Jenna Creger got the ball for the Bearcats in the first game and threw seven innings of lights out softball. Creger went the distance to collect her fourth win of the season. The senior pitcher posted eight strikeouts, four walks and gave up only two hits.

Rachael Schmitz knocked in Kristine Labertew with an RBI single to center field to score the lone run for the Bearcats. It would be the only run the team would need as they grabbed the 1-0 victory over Sioux Falls.

Northwest could not overcome the 13 players left on base in game two as they stranded bases loaded in the second and third innings. Upper Iowa scored one in the first inning and added three in the fifth and one in the sixth.

The Bearcats added one run in the top of the sixth inning when Taszia Roseberry hit her second home run of the season. The team could not rally in the seventh and fell to Upper Iowa 5-1 as Abbie Vitosh picked up her second loss of the season.

Candace Miller and Hailee Hendricks both collected two hits a piece against Concordia-St. Paul but it was not enough. Schmitz and Kailee Sherer scored the teams two runs as the Bearcats fell 4-2.

Paige Blythe started for Northwest and went three innings giving up seven hits, three earned runs and one walk. Jenna Creger came back to pitch the final three innings while collecting four strikeouts and giving up one hit.

The Bearcats went 1-4 at the NSIC/MIAA Crossover tournament and move their season record to 8-4. Northwest will continue to be on the road as they will travel to Joplin, Mo. for the Teri Mathis-Zenner Memorial Tournament Saturday and Sunday. The Bearcats will take on Illinois-Springfield, Tarleton-State, Sioux Falls and Oklahoma Christian. First pitch will be 1 p.m. Saturday against Illinois-Springfield.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

At the first day of the NSIC/MIAA Crossover the Northwest Missouri State softball team lost its first two games of the season falling late to Minnesota State 3-2 and were shutout by St. Cloud State 3-0.

Minnesota State Mankato rallied in the sixth inning to win 3-2. Jenna Creger received the loss after allowing the three runs. Creger’s record falls to 3-1 as the senior allowed her first runs of the season.

The only two runs of the day came from a homerun hit by Stephanie Price in the first inning. Price’s homerun scored Kristen Uthe who had reached on a single.

“It wasn’t like we were getting beat seven-nothing. We were in both games, but at the plate we weren’t,” said Head Coach Ryan Anderson.

Courtney McKelvogue picked up the complete game win for MSU scattering 10 hits and striking out 10 Bearcats.

Kelly Franks, of St. Cloud State, pitched a 3-0 shutout against the Bearcats in the second game. Franks struck out 11of the batters she faced in the game only allowing four hits.

Abbie Vitosh was credited with the loss in the game moving her record to 2-1 for the season.

Vitosh gave up two homeruns against St. Cloud, as the other run was scored off an error on a throw to third by Cantrell.

Candace Miller recorded two of the Bearcats four hits in the loss.

“We have to take care of ourselves and get back to what we know we can do,” Anderson said.

The Bearcats wrap up the weekend Saturday with tough regional match ups against Sioux Falls, Upper Iowa and Concordia-St. Paul. First pitch against USF is set for 10 a.m.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

The Northwest Missouri State baseball team had to change locations for their double-header Tuesday but came up short as they fell to UNK 10-6 in game one and 5-4 in extra innings in game two.

Nebraska-Kearney added six runs in the first two innings of game one to go up on Northwest. The Bearcats came back to score one run in the bottom of the second and would not score again until the fifth inning.

Down 8-1 going into the fifth, Northwest put together a good inning to get back into the game. Ryan Abernathy, Tyler Durant and Brandon Huske had all the bases occupied when Cam Bedard singled to left field to drive in two runs.

Eric McGlauflin then stepped up and hit his first home run of the season. A three run home run to right center field to bring the score to 8-6.

UNK added two more runs in the top of the seventh to hand Chase Anderson his first loss of the season. Anderson gave up seven hits and five earned runs in just 1.1 innings pitched.

Game two needed extra innings to determine a winner as Austin Warren took the mound for the Bearcats and delivered a solid performance to give the Bearcats a chance to win. Warren went seven strong innings giving up eight hits and three earned runs while striking out five. Warren was given the no-decision in his start.

UNK and the Bearcats traded runs in the third and fifth innings and remained deadlocked at 2-2 going into the bottom of the sixth. Huske knocked in Paul Johnson with a single up the middle to give Northwest a one run lead at 3-2. Eric Swain scored on a UNK throwing error on a double play attempt in the seventh to make it 4-2.

In the top of the 10th Schroeder scored off a single by Jameson to go up for good on top of the Bearcats.

Nathanial Horton was tabbed with the loss.

The Bearcats are scheduled to host Lindenwood for the home opening series starting Saturday. The double-header will start at noon at Bearcat Field followed immediately by the second game. The series finale will get underway Sunday at noon.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

The Northwest Missouri State baseball team could not build on Saturday’s win as the Bearcats dropped game one to the RiverHawks 7-2 then fell 11-8 in the night cap on Sunday.

Northwest scored the first run of the game in the top of the first after Brandon Huske tripled then was knocked in by Eric Swain. NSU added two in the bottom of the first and never relinquished the lead.

The Bearcats grabbed their second run in the fifth inning when Brandon Huske drove in Alex Singleton on a double down the right field line.

Marcus Garrett picked up his second loss of the season as he went three innings gave up five hits and four earned runs and three strike outs. Chase Anderson took over on the mound in the fourth inning and faced 17 batters giving up two earned runs and posting four strikeouts.

Game two was an offensive explosion for both teams. NSU and Northwest combined for 25 hits and 19 runs, but it was in a losing effort for the Bearcats.

The game was scoreless heading into the top of the third until Matt Kanger singled to right center field scoring Eric McGlauflin. Charlie Krueger stepped up to the plate with the bases full of Bearcats and dropped a grand slam over the left field wall to put Northwest up 5-0. The home run was Krueger’s second of the season.

The RiverHawks added three in the bottom half of the third off a three run home run by Davidson. NSU would take the lead in the fourth inning by adding four runs to go up 7-5.

Ryker Fox got the start for Northwest who used four pitchers in the loss. The staff combined for 11 earned runs, 13 hits, five strikeouts and only three walks.

Tyler Durant went 3 for 5 for the Bearcats and knocked in three RBIs. Kreuger, McGlaufllin and Cameron Bedard all added two hits apiece.

Northwest could not overcome leaving 12 men on base as they drop to 1-4, 1-2. The Bearcats will have a quick turn-around as they will be back on the field Wednesday to take on Nebraska-Kearney in the home opener for Northwest. First pitch of the double header will be at noon.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

The Northwest Missouri State softball team battled through Sunday to knock off Ouachita Baptist, 5-2 before withstanding a late rally from Oklahoma Panhandle State for a 9-6 win to close out the 7-State Softball Classic.

The Bearcats stand at 7-0 on the season giving them their best start in program history. Before Sunday the Bearcats 5-0 start equaled the best start under Head Coach Ryan Anderson when his 2007 squad won their first five games in his first season at the helm.

Game one saw the Bearcats get another solid pitching performance, as Abbie Vitosh earned the win going 5.1 innings and scattering five hits. Vitosh improved to 2-0 on the season as she was charged with one earned run while striking out seven.

Northwest got on the board in the third inning when Candace Miller singled to left field scoring Rachael Schmitz. Miller finished the game 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

Ouachita Baptist would tie the game in the top of the fourth inning with an RBI single, however the Bearcats would explode in the bottom half to break the game open.

Kristine Labertew belted her first home run of the season, scoring Stephanie Price who was hit by a pitch. After two walks, a single and an error Northwest would extend its lead to 5-1 on an infield single by Miller.

OBU scratched a run back in the top of the sixth inning on a solo homer, but Morgan Brunmeier entered in relief to pitching the final 1.2 innings for the save.

The finale saw the Bearcats hold off a feverish rally from Oklahoma Panhandle in the late innings for a 9-6 victory.

The Northwest offense gave the Bearcat pitching staff the run support it needed early with a five run second inning. The Bearcats scored five runs on six hits with a home run from Kylie Cantrell and RBI singles from Miller and Labertew.

Kristen Uthe added a RBI double to cap the inning as Northwest left the bases loaded.

After OPSU added a run in the top of the fourth, Northwest answered with three more runs on three hits. Labertew picked up her second RBI on a single and Cantrell was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded also giving her two RBIs in the win.

Northwest also had a season high three errors but managed to overcome the miscues after a four run inning from the Aggies pulled the Bearcat lead to 8-5.

Both teams would trade runs in the sixth as Brunmeier again entered in relief to shut the door on the Aggies. Paige Blythe earned the win for the Bearcats going 4.1 innings before Brunmeier finished the final 2.2 innings and picked up her second save.

Miller finished 3-for-4 with an RBI in the night cap as four more Bearcats added multiple hits. Uthe also joined Labertew and Cantrell with two RBIs.

Northwest returns to the diamond next weekend as they travel north for the NSIC/MIAA Crossover Tournament. Tournament action in Minnesota starts on Friday with a single game for the Bearcats against Sioux Falls. The final two days feature double-headers against Upper Iowa and Concordia-St. Paul on Saturday and a Sunday meeting with Minnesota State Mankato and Winona State.

— NWMSU Sports Information —