The Northwest Missouri State softball team earned its first wins of the season on Friday as they took a 4-0 win over Oklahoma Panhandle State and a 9-8 win from Missouri S&T at the Arkansas-Monticello Five State Classic.

The Bearcats saw their record climb to 2-4 on the young season and have a chance to get back to .500 on Saturday. Northwest continues action in Bentonville as they open Saturday with University of Illinois-Springfield at 12:30 p.m. before closing the day against Rockhurst at 3 p.m.

In the second game of the day the Miners took the early lead adding four runs in the top of the first, but Northwest battled back with three runs in the bottom half. Kayli Schurman blasted a three-run homer for her only hit of the game pulling Northwest within one.

The Bearcats tied the game up on a Miner throwing error in the bottom of the second as Jordan Gadbois scored the first of her three runs in the game. Gadbois added two hits in the afternoon game.

Northwest would break the game open in the fourth when Josie Van Houten and Angela Wright each singled home runners for their only RBIs. The third run of the inning was aided by an S&T error putting Northwest up 7-4.

In the bottom of the fifth the Bearcats added two more runs, which proved to be more than just insurance runs.

The Miners would rally in the top half of the sixth as they finally chased Northwest starter Abbie Vitosh. Vitosh was responsible for all eight Miner runs and 12 hits as she struck out three.

Morgan Brunmeier entered with the bases loaded only allowing one hit. However, the one base hit pulled the Miners within a run at 9-8. From there Brunmeier would close the door not allowing a base runner and picking up her first save of the year in two innings of work.

In the Bearcats first game of the day Northwest took a shutout win over Oklahoma Panhandle State, 4-0. Stats from the day’s first game were not available.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

With back-to-back losses for the first time this season the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats fell to No. 7 in the South Central Regional rankings released Wednesday afternoon by the NCAA.

After a double-overtime win last week, Midwestern State vaulted over Tarleton State to take the top spot. Tarleton State slid to No. 2 after last week’s loss to the Mustangs as Arkansas Tech held steady at No. 3.

Missouri Southern jumped to No. 4. Washburn sits at No. 5 and Central Missouri moved up one spot to No. 6. After the Bearcats, Texas A&M-International holds the eighth and final spot while West Texas A&M sits at No. 9 and Incarnate Word checks in at No. 10.

The South Central Region is made up of teams from the MIAA, Lone Star Conference, Heartland Conference and Great American Conference. The winners of the MIAA, LSC and Heartland receive automatic bids to the eight-team NCAA South Central Region tournament and the remaining five seeds are filled by at-large bids based on the NCAA ranking. The newly-formed GAC does not have an automatic bid.

The NCAA Division II basketball selection shows will air Sunday, March 4, on NCAA.com. The women’s show will air at 9 p.m. and the men’s show will follow at 9:30 p.m.

Northwest Missouri State needed a win to clinch at least a share of a MIAA regular season title, however the Bearcats were dealt a 91-77 setback Tuesday from Southwest Baptist in MIAA action.

Northwest falls to 20-5 on the year and 14-5 in the conference as they now share first-place with Missouri Southern. SBU improved to 17-10 overall and 10-8 as they handed Northwest back-to-back losses for the first time all season.

After leading most of the first half SBU overtook Northwest at the 2:57 mark and took a 32-28 lead into intermission.

With 18 second half points from DeAngelo Hailey the Bearcats were not able to overcome a hot shooting SBU squad.

The purple Bearcats went 9-of-13 from behind the three-point line and were also outstanding from the free throw line. SBU made 30-of-36 from the free throw line including a 9-of-10 effort from Jake Dougherty who shared game high honors with Hailey adding 24 points of his own.

DeShaun Cooper also scored 20 points for Northwest while Jake Reinders added 14 in his 100th game as a Bearcat.

Northwest can still win the MIAA regular season championship on Saturday, but will have to do so as they host defending champion Missouri Southern. Game time from Bearcat Arena is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

Fielding miscues domed Northwest Missouri State as the Drury Panthers took a pair from the Bearcats, 4-1 and 2-1 Tuesday afternoon at Thompson Field in non-conference softball action.

The Bearcats fell to 0-4 on the season while the Panthers improved to 5-2. Northwest returns to action this weekend in Arkansas as they will play six games in the three days at the Arkansas-Monticello Five State Classic starting Friday.

Game one – Box Score

Drury jumped out early on the Bearcats with a run in the first and then added a run in the third via a Northwest error. That proved all the Panthers needed handing the Bearcats their third straight loss with a 4-1 defeat.

The Bearcats got another solid effort from Jenna Creger in the circle, who went the distance scattering seven hits in the loss.

However, Creger would be charged with three of the four Panther runs including a two-run homer in the fifth that proved to be insurance for DU.

Northwest got its only run in the top of the seventh when Kayli Schurman connected for her first home run of the season.

Kristen Uthe was the only Bearcat to record multiple hits going 2-for-2 with a walk.

Drury got a solid pitching effort in game one from Kelsea Garthoff, who picked up her fourth win of the year. Garthoff only allowed the one run on the homer from Schurman, while scattering four hits and striking out five.

Game two – Box Score

The nightcap was also unkind to the Bearcats as their third fielding miscue led to the winning run for the Panthers and a double header sweep.

After falling behind 1-0 the Bearcats were able to tie the game in the top of the sixth when Rachael Schmitz doubled to lead off the inning. Schmitz would score three batters later when a fielder’s choice from Josie Van Houten tied the game.

Northwest would be just one out away from forcing extra innings and leaving two runners stranded for the Panthers; however, a dropped third strike continued the inning as the next hitter knocked a two-out single into left field scoring the winning run.

Morgan Brunmeier followed a solid outing from Creger, pitching a complete game and scattering six hits in the loss. Brunmeier allowed two runs, one of which was earned while striking out three.

The DU pitching staff limited the Bearcats to only two hits in the second game after only allowing four in game one.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

It was another cool afternoon at Simmons Field as Central Oklahoma finished a four-game sweep of Northwest Missouri State with 3-1 and 9-8 wins on Sunday in non-conference baseball action.

The Bearcats fell to 0-4 to open their season while the Bronchos improved to 8-2. Northwest returns to Oklahoma next weekend for a pair of games with Northeastern State and Arkansas Tech in Tahlequah, Okla.

Game One

In the first game of the double header Northwest was able to duplicate its early runs as Ryan Abernathy circled the bases and scored via a passed ball to give the Bearcats an early 1-0 lead.

However, UCO would answer with a homerun to lead off the bottom of the first and second innings taking a 2-1 lead. The Bronchos added a third run in the home half of the third inning, proving to be all the offense UCO needed, moving one game closer to a series sweep.

After the early scoring both team’s pitching staffs silenced the opponents bats as Northwest starter Jace Anderson pitched five solid innings. The two homeruns proved to be costly as Anderson was charged with all three runs and the loss while scattering seven hits.

Edgar Lopez was just a little sharper for UCO going 5.2 innings allowing two hits and striking out eight.

Game Two

The second game of Sunday’s twin bill saw almost twice as much offense as the Bearcats staged a late inning rally before falling 9-8.

UCO jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the third inning, but the Bearcats would battle back adding a run in the fourth and tying the game with three runs in the fifth.

However, every time the Bearcats would answer the Bronchos at the plate, UCO would add just enough to hold its lead.

Northwest started its rally in the seventh as Eric McGlauflin knocked a two out double in the gap and scored on error.

Geno DeAngleis, who reached on the error, also scored via a UCO error to pull the Bearcats within two runs.

In the ninth, Abernathy would score Jon Pomatto with a RBI single again pulling Northwest within a run at 9-8; however the Bronchos’ bullpen would get the final two outs needed to preserve the win and sweep.

After 5.2, starter Chase Anderson recorded the loss. Although Anders allowed all nine runs the junior was only charged with five runs.

— NWMSU Sports Information

Looking to clinch at least a share of the MIAA regular season title a zealous comeback by 14th-ranked Northwest Missouri State came up short as the Bearcats fell to Central Missouri 76-63 Saturday afternoon inside Bearcat Arena.

With the loss Northwest fell to 20-4 on the year and 14-4 in the MIAA. The Mules improved to 17-7 overall and 13-5 in league play as they snapped a seven game winning streak by the Bearcats and sweep the season series.

Northwest would fall behind by as many as 15 at the 4:45 mark of the second half, but stage feverous late rally. A three-pointer from DeShaun Cooper and a pair of free throws by Jake Reinders shrunk the Northwest deficit to single digits.

However, the Bearcats could not get the ball to bounce their way as the Mules knocked down five free throws in the final 1:24 of the game to seal the win.

UCM got major offensive production from its starting five as four starters finished in double figures, led by Boo Hunter with 14 points.

Both teams struggled offensively in the first half, but the struggles would only carry over into the second half for Northwest. UCM went on to shot a sizzling 67 percent from the field in the second half and was 20-of-26 from the free throw line as a team.

Senior Jake Reinders was forced away from the basket much of the contest as the 63 percent shooter managed to go only 5-of-12 from the field. Reinders only had two points in the first half, but scored 14 second half points to help pace the Bearcat comeback including a 6-for-6 effort from the charity stripe.

Northwest will look to clinch at least a share of the MIAA regular season title on Tuesday as they travel to Southwest Baptist for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff. The Bearcats will be looking for a season sweep of their purple foe and their first championship since the 2006-07 season.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

It was not the ideal conditions for a season opener or the outcome Northwest Missouri State was looking for as the Bearcat fell 6-5 in extra innings Friday at Central Oklahoma in non-conference baseball action.

The Bearcats dropped to 0-1 while future MIAA foe Central Oklahoma picked up its fifth win of the season to improve to 5-2. Finishing the final innings in wet and drizzling conditions forced tomorrow’s double header to be moved to Sunday as the two teams will only play a single game on Saturday starting at 2 p.m.

Behind starting pitcher Chris Green the Bearcats raced out to an early 2-0 lead plating runs in the first and third innings. Green would silence the Bronchos’ bats early as the senior pitch five solid innings, giving up only three hits while walking none and striking out five.

However, UCO would come back to tie the game, scoring a run in the home half of the seventh and eighth before both teams added a run in the ninth to force extra innings.

In the first extra frame both teams plated two as the Bearcats got a RBI double from pinch hitter Charlie Krueger and a RBI single off the bat of left fielder Jake Kretzer to put Northwest up 5-3.

UCO would push two runs across in its half of the 10th as well when JP Maples belted a homerun in the alley to left, forcing another frame.

Working out of the bullpen Nathan Horton worked a scoreless 11th inning before giving up a walk-off homerun to Kevin Blue with two outs in the bottom of the 12th giving UCO a 6-5 comeback win.

Tyler Durant had a pair of RBIs for the Bearcats and three hits on the day. Eric Swain and Cameron Bedard also had multiple hits for the Bearcats in the loss.

First pitch on Saturday is scheduled for 2 p.m. with a twin bill on Sunday to close out the series starting at 11 a.m. from Simmons Field.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

It was a tough opening day for the Northwest Missouri State softball team as they dropped a pair at the Southwestern Oklahoma Tournament on Friday with a 2-1 extra inning loss to the host Bulldogs and a 12-5 decision to William Jewell.

The Bearcats slide to 0-2, but will have revenge on their mind as they face Southwestern Oklahoma and William Jewell on Saturday to close out the Southwestern Oklahoma Tournament.

Game One – Box Score

Solid pitching was on display in game of the Southwestern Oklahoma Tournament Friday as the Bulldogs came up with a 2-1 win over Northwest in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Northwest jumped out early on the Bulldogs after an RBI single to right field from Angela Wright put the Bearcats up 1-0 in the top half of the first. However, that would be the only run Northwest would assemble as Katie Raines shut down the Bearcat bats.

Jenna Creger was also impressive in her first outing of the season scattering six hits and only allowing two runs. It was the second run, however, that came with one out in the bottom half of the seventh that propelled the Bulldogs in game one.

Creger also struck out five and only walked two batters on the day, but her second walk proved costly. She would walk the leadoff batter for SWOSU in the seventh after moving to third on a single. The winning run for the Bulldogs would come across the plate on Audra Chambless’ second hit of the day.

Raines also walked two for the Bulldogs as she scattered five hits in a complete game win while striking out one.

Game two – Box Score

After taking an early 3-0 lead, the Bearcat bats fell silent as William Jewell benefited from 11 runs over the final three innings to secure a 12-4 win in game two.

Angela Wright blasted a two-run homer and Haile Hendricks came up with a RBI double to give the Bearcats the early lead in the first inning.

Northwest starter Morgan Brunmeier also got off to a hot start keeping the Cardinal offense at bay through the first four innings only allowing one run.

Trouble would strike in the fifth as a single and an error set-up a Faith Song double for Jewell pulling the Cardinals within one. William Jewell would take the lead just three batters later after a pair of walks, Rach Hayden sent a 2-RBI double in the gap making it a 4-3 Cardinal lead.

The Bearcats would battle back to tie the game in the bottom half of the fourth as Kristen Uthe picked up her only RBI on a sacrifice fly.

However, the Northwest bullpen could not hold the Cardinals as they erupted for four runs in the sixth and seventh to ice game. The Bearcats would stage a late rally in the bottom of the seventh, but only manage one run, falling 12-5.

— NWMSU Sports Information —