The Northwest Missouri State Bearcats fell in a MIAA double-header Saturday afternoon losing 4-3 and 3-2 to the Truman State Bulldogs at Bulldog Park.

With the losses, Northwest falls to 7-20 overall and 6-12 in MIAA play while the Bulldogs improved to 6-18 overall and 5-15 in conference play.

Game one saw Truman State jumping out to an early 2-0 lead when they plated two runs off of two hits in the bottom of the second.

Northwest would get their bats going in to top of the third when Ryan Abernathy doubled to right center.  Cameron Bedard followed with a double of his own, this one down the right-field line, scoring Abernathy.  Bedard would cross the plate to even the score at 2-2.

The Bulldogs would add two runs in the fourth to take the 4-2 advantage.

Game two would see the Bearcats strike first as Bedard’s bat would stay hot with a single up the middle.  A Tyler Durant sacrifice fly would give the Bearcats the early 1-0 lead.

Northwest would up their lead to 2-0 in the fourth thanks to a Cole Mapes bunt and another single from Bedard.  With the hit, Bedard recorded his ninth hit in nine consecutive at-bats.

Truman would cut the lead in half in the bottom of the fourth and then even the score at 2-2 in the fifth.

A Bearcat error in the bottom of the eighth would prove costly as the Bulldogs would take the 3-2 lead.

Junior Chase Anderson suffered the tough-luck loss.  Anderson tossed his second consecutive complete game, scattering eight hits, walking none and picking up a career high seven strikeouts.

Up Next: The Bearcats and Bulldogs conclude their four-game series Sunday afternoon with first pitch of the double-header from Bulldog Field slated for noon.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

After a mid-week split the Northwest Missouri State softball team was hoping for better luck against 6th-ranked Central Oklahoma as the Bronchos swept the Bearcats 6-0 and 9-1 Saturday afternoon at Broncho Field.

The Bearcats slipped to 12-20 on the season while UCO improved to 29-3 and have now won 27 straight games. Northwest continues action on Sunday against Northeastern State, a school that along with UCO, will join the MIAA next season.

The Bronchos got a pair of stellar pitching performances including a one-hit shutout in game one.

Kristen Uthe kept the Bearcats from being no-hit as she singled through the left side in the top of the first inning. However, UCO starter Amanda McClelland went seven innings and only allowed one more base runner, a fifth inning walk to Kristine Labertew.

Labertew led-off the fifth with a walk and would be stranded with the Bearcats trailing 6-0.

UCO picked up five runs in the bottom of the third and added its final run on a sacrifice fly in the fourth.

Morgan Brunmeier picked up the loss going 3.1 innings allowing 6 runs, although only 4 were earned.

Abbie Vitosh pitched 2.2 innings of relief holding UCO hitless and only walking one.

Game two was more offensive firepower from the Broncho bats aided by a pair of home runs.

UCO jumped out to another early lead with three runs in the first inning with a 2-run homer from Nathalie Timmermans. Timmermans extended the lead in the second as she set a UCO school record for home runs in a season and gave the Bronchos a 4-0 lead.

Northwest would get on the board in the third inning as Hailee Hendricks reached on a UCO error that scored Kylie Cantrell. Cantrell had singled to lead-off the inning for one of the Bearcats two hits in game two.

Paige Blythe took the loss as Vitosh pitched 3.2 innings of relief as UCO ended the game in the sixth via run rule.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

It was a goal all season and in what was supposed to be a rebuilding season for the Northwest Missouri State men’s tennis team has turned into a historic one. The Bearcats claimed a 5-0 win over Newman Saturday and a 5-0 win from Dallas Baptist propelling head coach Mark Rosewell to career win 900.

The Bearcats finished a solid weekend improving their regular season mark to 12-3. Northwest also ran its winning streak to four matches sweeping all three matches in Tulsa.

The historic win came against regional foe Dallas Baptist. Northwest claimed the 5-0 win from the Patriots after winning all three doubles matches.

The clinching wins came at the No. 2 and No. 5 singles positions as Rafael Bugiga won 6-1, 6-0 at No. 2 singles.

Jasson Harris sealed the win as he won at No. 5 singles, 6-1, 6-0 as well.

The Bearcats made quick work of Newman early Saturday morning to claim a 5-0 win.

Northwest picked up 8-4 wins at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles and won 8-2 at the No.3 position.

Jason Harris again claimed a quick win in singles winning 6-0, 6-0 at his No. 5 position.

Jose Ortega gave the Bearcats a win setting up the milestone win with a 6-0, 6-2 victory at No. 6 singles.

Northwest will quickly return to the court Sunday afternoon hosting MIAA rival Truman. Two seniors will be honored at Frank Grube Courts at 12:45 p.m. with tennis action beginning at 2 p.m.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

It took the second game of a double header, but the Northwest Missouri State softball team snapped a nine-game skid splitting a double header Wednesday afternoon with Rockhurst, dropping game one 9-2 before pitching a shutout in game two 6-0.

Northwest saw its record move to 12-18 on the year as a number of players returned to the normal lineup after sitting out last weekend. The Bearcats will hit the road for their final four road games of the regular season traveling to nationally ranked Central Oklahoma on Saturday and Northeastern State on Sunday.

Both teams were held scoreless in game one through five innings, before they both got on the board in the sixth inning.

Rockhurst picked up two runs in the top half before Northwest got a lead-off home run from Hailee Hendricks. After back-to-back singles Kristine Labertew picked up a two-out RBI single to tie the game at 2-2.

After a solid outing through six inning Northwest starter Morgan Brunmeier ran into trouble in the seventh. Brunmeier recorded two outs in the seventh as the trouble struck with the Hawks batting around and a three-run homer from Natalie Johnson.

The Bearcats failed to rally in the bottom of the seventh as they dropped their ninth straight.

However, game two would be all Bearcats, highlighted by a no doubt home run off the bat of Kayli Schurman in the third inning. The three-run bomb gave Northwest a 5-0 lead as Bearcat starter Paige Blythe held Rockhurst scoreless.

Schurman blasted a two-run homer in the first inning giving Northwest an early 2-0 lead. Schurman finished 2-for-3 adding five RBIs in the win.

Blythe was impressive going seven strong innings and only allowing three hits. She walked none and struck out four.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

The Northwest Missouri State women’s tennis squad snapped a two-game skid as the swept by Lincoln 9-0 on Wednesday in MIAA action at the Jefferson City Country Club.

The Bearcats improved to 5-6 on the season as they also helped head coach Mark Rosewell inch closer to win number 900. Rosewell now sits at 896 as the Bearcat women travel to Tulsa, Okla., for a trio of regional matches with Dallas Baptist, Newman and Arkansas-Fort Smith.

Northwest breezed through doubles action as the duo of Camila Quesada and Alexis Bartek won 8-0.

The Bearcats finished the doubles sweep at the No. 2 and No. 3 positions winning 8-1 in both matches.

Quesada and Erica Leston took their No. 1 and No. 2 singles matches 6-0, 6-1 pacing the Bearcats in the sweep. The final four positions at No. 3, 4, 5, and 6 singles all won their matches 6-0, 6-0.

The Bearcats continue MIAA action on Sunday as they host Truman State on Sunday in Maryville. Sunday’s match with the Bulldogs is also senior day as two seniors will honor a senior from each the men’s and women’s squad.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team fell in non-conference action Tuesday afternoon losing 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth to Rockhurst University.

Midway through the season, Northwest sits at 7-18 on the season and 6-10 in MIAA play with one non-conference and 24 conference games remaining.

Jon Pomatto would start the hitting for the Bearcats in the top of the third when he led off with a single to center field.  Ryan Abernathy would plate Pomatto with a triple to left field.  Cameron Bedard would keep the bats hot with an RBI single down the left field line to give Northwest the early 2-0 lead.

The Bearcats would extend their lead to 3-0 in the top of the fifth thanks to a Tyler Durant single to left center plating Eric Swain.

Rockhurst would rally in the bottom of the seventh to cut the Bearcats’ lead to 3-2 going into the eighth.

A called balk in the bottom of the eighth would tie the score at 3-3 one pitch before a Josh Parrish strikeout ended the inning.

With two outs and a runner on second in the ninth, Scott Bradbury would single to left-center to give Rockhurst the 4-3 win.

In the loss, Abernathy, Jake Kretzer and Durant recorded two hits apiece for the Bearcats.

Sean Brady had an impressive start for Northwest, going five shutout innings while allowing three hits and striking out four.

Up Next: The Bearcats continue MIAA action this weekend as they travel to Kirksville, Mo. for a four-game series with the Truman State Bulldogs.  First pitch from Bulldog Park is slated for 3 p.m. on Friday.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

The Northwest Missouri State men’s tennis squad got back on the winning track Tuesday in an impressive way, rolling past Missouri Valley 9-0 in non-conference action.

The Bearcats improved to 9-3 on the year as they continue action over the weekend against tough region foes, Arkansas-Fort Smith and Newman in Tulsa, Okla. The win also moved head coach Mark Rosewell’s career total to 895 needing just five wins to crack the coveted 900 mark.

The Bearcats swept all three doubles matches winning at No. 1 and No. 2 by identical 8-5 scores. Calvin Patterson and Jason Harris took No. 3 doubles with even more ease winning 8-0.

In singles action Northwest breezed through the Vikings lineup with only one set challenging the Bearcats. Mario Jakovljevic won at No. 2 singles, 6-0, 6-3 as the rest of the Northwest lineup moved coach Rosewell closer to win number 900.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

Northwest Missouri State Director of Athletics Wren Baker announced Monday that Randy Gipson will become the Bearcats next women’s basketball head coach.

Gipson will be formally introduced at a press conference at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 5, in the Tower View Room inside the Northwest J.W. Jones Student Union.

The 10-time conference or region coach of the year will be the sixth head coach in the history of Bearcat women’s basketball.

“I’m really pleased and excited to be Wren’s and President (John) Jasinski’s choice,” Gipson said. “I’m also honored and humbled to have this opportunity.  I have tremendous respect for the athletic department, University and Maryville community. Coach (Gene) Steinmeyer led his team to great heights at Northwest and I hope I can build on that success.”

A proven winner at the NCAA Division II level and in the NCAA South Central Region, Gipson comes from Northeastern State (Okla.), where he guided the Riverhawks to a 259-121 record in 13 seasons and seven NCAA tournament appearances.

“I am ecstatic to get a coach of Randy’s caliber to lead our women’s basketball program,” Baker said. “Randy is a proven winner, but more importantly, a proven leader of young women. From the start of this process, we wanted to get the right fit. We believe our women’s basketball program has incredible potential.  Randy and his family will be great additions to Northwest and the Maryville community. I have no doubt he will lead our program to new heights.”

While members of the Lone Star Conference (LSC), Gipson led Northeastern State to six North Division Championships and an LSC tournament title in 2003. He was also named LSC North Division Coach of the Year seven times.  Although the Riverhawks played as an independent during the 2011-12 season, they earned their seventh NCAA South Central Region tournament bid. During both the 2004 and 2010 seasons, Gipson led NSU to Sweet 16 finishes.

He led NSU to the NCAA tournament in each of the past three seasons (2010, 2011 and 2012). His 2010-11 team received the No. 1 seed in the South Central Region and hosted the regional tournament. Northwest would eventually win that regional on the way to a Final Four appearance in St. Joseph.  Gipson’s student-athletes have also excelled in the classroom at NSU with a 97 percent graduation rate for those who completed their eligibility.

Gipson is excited to be joining the Maryville community.

“My family and I really like the Maryville community.  After being around town, it’s very similar to Tahlequah,” Gipson said. “Both are college towns with passion and enthusiasm for the sports teams.  I’m excited with the geographic location of Maryville and feel we’ll be able to attract quality young women to come to Northwest.”

On the court, Bearcat fans should see a physical team that concentrates on hard-nosed defense.

“I hope to bring a tough-minded style of ball to the women’s basketball program. We’ll play hard on both ends of the floor.  We will focus on aggressive, fundamental man-to-man defense and a team-oriented, motion offense that focuses on sharing the ball.”

Prior to Northeastern State, he was the head coach at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College (NEO) and led the Lady Norse to a national runner-up finish in the 1991 NJCAA tournament. He was named NJCAA Region II Coach of the Year three times, won three Region II Championships and four conference championships in 11 seasons.  While at NEO, 100 percent of his student-athletes who played two years earned their associate degree.

Gipson started his coaching career as an assistant coach for the men’s and women’s basketball programs at NEO in 1983. He was named head coach of the women’s program in 1988.

Overall, Gipson holds a 549-196 career mark in 24 years of collegiate coaching. He received his bachelor’s degree in secondary education from the University of Kentucky in 1979 and his master’s degree in secondary school counseling in 1985 from Pittsburg State. Gipson and his wife Pam have one daughter, Carly.

— NWMSU Sports Information —