The Northwest Missouri State baseball team dropped a non-conference slugfest to Rockhurst University Hawks on Tuesday by a final of 15-10.

With the win, Rockhurst improves to 19-12 while the Bearcats drop to 11-23 entering a key MIAA weekend against Southwest Baptist University.

The Bearcats trailed from the outset as Rockhurst jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first and extended the advantage to 7-0 in the bottom of the second.

Northwest began to claw back in the second, trimming the deficit to 7-3 on a two-run double by Ryan Abernathy.  The hit was Abernathy’s team-leading 15th double of the season.

Following two runs in the top of the third, Northwest pulled within four on RBI hits by Jake Kretzer and Jon Pomatto.  The double by Kretzer started a monster game for the junior center fielder as he finished the day 4-for-4 with three doubles and a triple.

The Bearcats would rally for four runs in the eighth and one in the ninth but the comeback would fall short with two runners stranded on base to end the game.

Nathanial Horton was the losing pitcher for Northwest in his first start of the season.  Nick Caldrone and Jacob Raffaele combined to pitch three innings in relief for the Bearcats without allowing an earned run.

In addition to Kretzer’s four extra-base hits, Abernathy and Jon Pomatto would lead the thirteen hit attack for Northwest, each collecting two hits and multiple RBI’s in the contest.

Up Next: The Bearcats continue MIAA play this weekend when they travel to Bolivar, Mo. to take on the Southwest Baptist Bearcats.  First pitch of Friday’s double-header from Dodson Field is set for 1 p.m.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

The Northwest Missouri State football team enters its final week of spring practice at Bearcat Stadium prior to Saturday’s annual Green and White Spring Game at 5 p.m. The Bearcats will continue with practice Tuesday and Wednesday before taking Thursday and Friday off in preparation for Saturday night’s scrimmage.

Teams will be split into green and white squads via a draft and rosters will be announced in the middle of this week. The teams will play three quarters with a running clock and the fourth quarter will be played under regular season rules.

Several activities are planned Saturday throughout the afternoon on campus. The Bearcat Zone officially opens at 12 p.m., but will have a new location for this year’s Spring Game. Fans are encouraged to tailgate near Bearcat Field for Saturday’s softball doubleheader with Fort Hays State beginning at 12 p.m. Gates to the football stadium open at 4 p.m. and at 4:30 p.m. fans are invited on to Mel Tjeerdsma Field to interact with the football team prior to kickoff.

Throughout the game, fans will be randomly selected to participate in activities such as calling plays, kicking field goals and catching punts. Tickets to the Green and White Spring Game will be available for purchase on Saturday for only $5. Bearcat students can gain admission with the donation of a canned food item. All tickets and donations can be purchased or dropped off at the west entrance.

Fans will also be able to purchase the 2011 Bearcat Football Highlight DVD to relieve all the exciting action from last season. The DVD will be on sale on the concourse under the west grandstands for $20 courtesy of Mile Marker 8 Productions.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

Timely hitting pushed Central Missouri to a sweep of Northwest Missouri State as the Jennies used two late inning comebacks to take game one 6-4 and the nightcap 11-8 in MIAA women’s softball action Monday evening.

Northwest fell to 14-24 on the year and 4-9 in league play as last place UCM improved to 18-24 and 4-10 in conference action. The Bearcats continue a busy week as they host non-conference Drury on Wednesday before a home conference series with Washburn and Fort Hays State on the weekend.

Game one saw the Bearcats come back from a 3-0 deficit to score four runs in the third inning taking a 4-3 lead. A home run from Rachael Schmitz gave Northwest its first run followed three batters later by a Kristen Uthe sacrifice fly.

Kayli Schurman blasted her 12th home run of the season, a two-run blast to left giving Northwest the 4-3 lead. The homer also moved Schurman into second for most home runs in a season and just three home runs shy of the single season record.

Starter Jenna Creger, who came off an injury over the weekend, recovered from the three early runs to pitch four scoreless innings for the Bearcats. However, Creger ran into trouble in the top of the seventh allowing three Jennie runs.

Northwest was unable to comeback in the bottom half of the inning falling 6-4.

The nightcap saw the Bearcats again use a big sixth inning rally scoring five runs to take an 8-5 lead. This time it was the Northwest bullpen that was unable to hold UCM as the Jennies scored three runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game and plated another three in extras for the win.

Uthe would go 2-for-4 in the second game adding two RBIs thanks to a third inning home run, her sixth of the season.

Jordan Ereth also went 2-for-4 in the loss with a pair of RBIs and a run scored.

Northwest had managed to put the Jennies down to their final out after a double play ball erased a UCM runner. However, a single and a Bearcat error combined with a walk loaded the bases for the Jennies setting up their comeback.

A bases clearing double from Jordan Marble tied the game in the seventh and UCM put the go-ahead run across on a sacrifice fly in the eighth. UCM added two more runs on a home run and another double for insurance runs, as the Jennies out-hit Northwest 18-6 in game two.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

Four Bearcats earned or improved NCAA provisional track & field marks highlighted by John Petroff as the first male to earn a provisional mark Saturday at the 2012 Jock’s Nitch Northwest Open.

Petroff earned a provisional mark in the discus throw with a mark of 163-09. Petroff captured the title holding off a pair of Drake throwers and conference rival Truman State.

On the women’s side two Bearcats improved on their NCAA provisional marks while Brittany Poole joined Lekiesha McKnight and Kate Walter on the list. Poole ran to a time of 10:56.83 in the 3000-meter steeplechase to move onto the list.

Walter improved her provisional mark in the javelin with a throw of 137-04. Her throw of 178-10 also improved her mark in the hammer throw as the junior claimed titles in each event.

McKnight won the shot put with a throw of 46-04.75. The mark for McKnight also improved her NCAA provisional mark earned earlier this spring at the ESU Spring Twilight.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

The Northwest Missouri State women’s tennis team picked up its second straight victory Friday en route to a 9-0 win over Fort Hays State at Frank Grube Courts.

The Bearcats have managed to get back to .500 at 8-8 on the year, but more importantly 3-0 in MIAA play. The win is also the second straight shutout of an MIAA opponent after last weekend’s 9-0 win over Truman State.

Continuing with solid play, the Bearcat doubles tandems swept all three matches taking a lead into singles play. Alexis Bartek and Camila Quesada won 8-0 at the No. 1 position while Erika Leston and Leslee Feldhaus had almost the same ease winning 8-1.

Singles play proved a tad tougher for Northwest, but in the end it was all green and white.

Camila Quesada took a 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 1 singles while Alexis Bartek improved her season record in singles to 11-2 with a 4-6, 6-1, 10-5 win over Caitlyn Wark of Fort Hays State.

Northwest takes a break from MIAA play but its schedule gets no easier as the Bearcats host Central Oklahoma Saturday morning. Play is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. as a part of the Bearcat Spring Showcase including the Northwest Track and Field Open along with Bearcat baseball and softball starting at 1 p.m.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

The Northwest Missouri State softball team got back to their winnings ways Friday afternoon as they swept a double header against the Southwest Baptist Bearcats winning 5-1 and 1-0.

With the wins, Northwest improved to 14-22 overall and 4-8 in conference play.

Game one saw Northwest jumping out to an early 2-0 lead in the home half of the second thanks to doubles from Kayli Schurman and Anastaszia Roseberry.  Kristine Labertew would also single in the inning.

The Bearcats would up their lead in the third with the help of singles from Hailee Hendricks, Jordan Ereth and Molly Baker.  Schurman would also record her second hit on the game pushing the Northwest advantage to 3-0.

The Northwest bats stayed hot in their half of the fourth as the Bearcats would plate two more runs.  Kirsten Uthe would double in the inning while two Southwest Baptist errors would help extend the Northwest lead.

Southwest Baptist would get on the board in the sixth plating one run on two hits to cut the Northwest advantage to 5-1 but that would be as close as Southwest Baptist would get.

Jenna Creger looked solid in her return to the mound for the Bearcats after missing two weeks due to an abdominal injury.  Creger would pitch a complete game, scattering six hits while striking out seven.

Ereth and Schrman would lead the Bearcats offensively recording two hits each.

Game two would take extra innings but Kristine Labertew would belt a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth to give Northwest the 1-0 win.

On the mound for Northwest, Abbie Vitosh would record the win pitching the entire game allowing just three hits while striking out eight.

Southwest Baptist’s Alexa Harvey recorded the loss scattering five hits while striking out two.

Anastaszia Roseberry would record two hits for Northwest in the win.

Up Next: The Bearcats continue MIAA play tomorrow as they host the Central Missouri Jennies in a double header as part of the Bearcat Spring Showcase.  First pitch from Bearcat Field is set for 1 p.m.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

Just as the Bearcat men’s basketball team did to open their season, the Northwest Missouri State men’s tennis team knocked off the same Division I opponent, UMKC on Thursday, 5-2 at the Plaza Tennis Center.

Northwest saw its record improve to 14-3 on the year after the squads sat through a rain delay the preempted singles play. The win also extends the Bearcats current winning streak to six games as they return to action next week with matches against tough region foe Ouachita Baptist and MIAA rival Southwest Baptist.

With the Bearcats take the double point from the Kangaroos, the delay did not hinder Northwest in the slightest. Getting a huge win at No. 1 singles from Mario Jakovljevic, who played at the No. 1 position for the first time this season, took down Grant Fleming 7-6 (8-6), 6-4.

UMKC would fight back to tie the match taking No. 2 and No. 3 singles, but it would the Bearcats who had the final say.

Northwest got wins from Luis Altimires at No. 4 singles 6-4, 6-4, while Jason Harris won at No. 5 singles of the exact same score.

Jose Ortega closed out the final points for the Bearcats with a 6-3, 6-7 (2-7), 10-5 over David Heckler in No. 5 singles, giving Northwest the win.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

Northwest Missouri State freshman Jason Harris was honored by the league office as MIAA Tennis Student-Athlete of the Week on Monday as voted on a conference panel.

Harris went 4-0 in singles play from the No. 5 position to improve to 9-5 on the year. The Johannesburg, South Africa, native has won his last six matches, including Sunday’s MIAA opener vs. Truman. Harris saw his first doubles action of the season with Luis Altimires, going 3-0 in doubles play.

Harris and the Bearcats stand at 13-3 on the year as they travel to Nebraska-Omaha on Wednesday. Action from Omaha is slated to start at 3 p.m.

— NWMSU Sports Information —