The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team defeated Emporia State, 12-11, in 12 innings on Monday at the Trusler Sports Complex in Emporia, Kan.

Hudson Bilodeau hit two home runs for the Bearcats including a walk off two-run shot in the bottom of the 12th.

Northwest improves to 6-6 overall and 3-0 in MIAA play with the weekend sweep. Emporia State falls to 6-7 overall and 0-3 in conference action.

Bilodeau went 3-for-5 with two home runs. He drove in five runs, scored twice and drew a walk.

Key Northwest Statistics
– Northwest scored four in the second, one in the third, three in the sixth, one in the seventh, one in the eighth and two in the 12th.
– The Hornets scored three in the first, two in the second, one in the third, one in the fourth, one in the fifth, two in the sixth and one in the 12th.
– The Bearcats had 12 runs on 19 hits with five errors. Emporia State scored 11 runs on 17 hits with two errors.
– Luke Hassman went 4-for-6 with two runs scored and two RBIs.
– Aaron Barratt went 3-for-5 with a double. He scored two runs, stole a base and also reached on a walk.
– Alixon Herrera was 2-for-5 with a home run. He drove in a pair and scored one run. He also reached on a walk.
– Kevin Handzlik was 4-for-6 with a solo home run.
– Logan Rycraft was 1-for-6 with a run scored and added a stolen base.
– Mondesi Gutierrez was 1-for-5, scored two runs and stole a base.
– Nathan Russell came on in relief in the second. He pitched 3.1 innings, allowing four hits and two earned runs. He walked one and struck out two.
– Jarret Cronin worked one inning of relief, allowing no hits. He walked two and struck out one.
– Jacob Wagner threw 4.1 innings of relief. He allowed just one run on five hits. He struck out five and walked one.
– Trevor Dudar picked up the win, retiring all three batters he faced.

Key Northwest Innings
– Northwest started the second with four straight hits. Hassman singled and Herrera hit his second home run in as many days over the left field fence to put the Bearcats on the board. Handzlik followed it up by taking the first pitch he saw over the left field fence for Northwest’s third run. Gutierrez continued the streak with a single up the middle. After an out, Barratt singled to center. Gutierrez went to third on a groundout. With two down, Bilodeau ripped a single into left, driving in Gutierrez to make it 5-4.

– In the third, Hassman and Herrera each hit back-to-back singles. Handzlk came up and laid down a bunt that landed perfectly between the pitcher’s mound and first base, allowing him to reach on an infield single to load the bases. A ground ball double play allowed Hassman to come in and score to keep it a one-run ballgame, 6-5.

– Leadoff batters again led to a big Northwest inning. Easley hit an infield single to second to start and Barratt drew a walk. Rycraft got a bunt single to third to load the bases. Bilodeau hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Easley for the Bearcats’ sixth run. After a groundout that moved up both runners, Hassman hit a single to left center, driving in Barratt and Rycraft to make it a 10-8 game.

– With one out in the seventh, Gutierrez was hit by a pitch. After a strike out, Barratt hit a single to put runners on the corners with two down. The Hornets changed pitchers with Rycraft at the plate. The Bearcats then executed a double steal as Barratt took of halfway to second, drawing a throw. On the throw, Gutierrez took off for home and beat the tag at the plate for Northwest’s ninth run.

– Bilodeau tied the game, 10-10, with a leadoff home run to left field in the bottom of the eighth.

– Down by one in the 12th, Barratt laced a double down the left field line to lead off. Rycraft moved him to third with sacrifice bunt. Bilodeau came up with his second home run of the game on the second pitch he saw, a blast over the left center field fence for the walk off.

Up Next
– The Bearcats will head to Fort Hays State on Friday, March 2, to start a three-game MIAA series with the Tigers. First pitch Friday is scheduled for 2 p.m.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University men’s basketball team defeated Lincoln, 73-55, on Saturday afternoon at Jason Gym in Jefferson City, Mo.

With the win, the Bearcats claimed the outright MIAA regular season title.

The victory was also head coach Ben McCollum’s 200th win, all coming at Northwest.

The Bearcats finished the regular season with a 24-3 overall mark and a 16-3 MIAA record. The Blue Tigers fall to 15-13 overall and 9-10 in conference action.

Joey Witthus tied his season-high with 22 points, knocking down four three pointers. He had five rebounds, five assists and was 4-for-4 at the free throw line.

Key Northwest Statistics
– Northwest shot 51.9 percent (28-of-54) from the field and were 13-for-25 (52 percent) from beyond the arc.

– Witthus’ four free throws were the only trips to the charity stripe for the Bearcats during the game.

– Northwest out rebounded the Blue Tigers, 28-26, and never trailed in the game.

– Xavier Kurth hit a career-high four three pointers, finishing with 14 points. He grabbed seven rebounds and added two assists.

– Justin Pitts scored 13 points, dishing out seven assists and grabbing two rebounds.

– Brett Dougherty had 10 points, three rebounds and an assist, going 5-for-10 from the field.

– Ryan Welty and Ryan Hawkins each had scored six points. Welty had five rebounds and Hawkins added four.

Key Northwest Sequence
– The Bearcats had maintained a double-digit lead for most of the game. Late in the second half with around five minutes to play, Northwest stretched the lead into the 20s for the first time. Kurth nailed a three pointer to make it 62-47 with 5:32 to play off a pass from Witthus. After a missed three by the Blue Tigers, Pitts hit a three from just in front of the Bearcat bench to make it 65-47. Another Lincoln missed three gave possession back to Northwest and this time it was Kurth again hitting a long range bomb off an assist from Pitts to make it a 21-point lead, 68-47.

Up Next
– Northwest will now face the winner of the No. 8 vs. No. 9 seed at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo., on Friday, March 2, at 6 p.m.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University women’s basketball team defeated Lincoln University, 76-65, on Saturday afternoon at Jason Gym in Jefferson City, Mo.

The Bearcats improve to 5-22 overall and 4-15 in MIAA play. The Blue Tigers finish the year at 4-23 overall and 1-18 in conference action.

Jaelyn Haggard led four Northwest players in double figures, scoring a career-high 30 points with six three pointers. She had four rebounds, three assists and went 8-for-9 from the charity stripe.

Key Northwest Statistics
– Northwest led 36-28 at halftime and outscored Lincoln, 29-19, in the fourth quarter.

– The Bearcats shot 21-for-49 (42.9 percent) from the field and connected on 46.2 percent (12-of-26) of their three-point attempts.

– Northwest also went a stellar 22-for-25 (88 percent) from the charity stripe and out rebounded Lincoln, 43-26.

– Lincoln was held to just 36.5 percent (22-for-63) shooting and hit just 6-of-17 (35.3 percent) three point attempts.

– Tanya Meyer recorded her ninth double-double of the season in her final game as a Bearcat. She scored 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting and grabbed 15 rebounds. She hit three three-pointers and was 4-for-4 from the free throw line.

– Mallory McAndrews hit a pair of three pointers and finished with 12 points. She was a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe.

– Kylie Coleman finished with 10 points, shooting 3-for-4 with a three pointer. She also was 3-for-4 from the free throw line and grabbed a rebound.

– Kaylani Maiava had eight rebounds and finished with three points.

– Mallory McConkey added four rebounds and three assists.

– Maria Dentlinger contributed three rebounds.

Key Northwest Sequence
– With 3:50 left in the fourth quarter, Linclon hit a pair of free throws to bring the game back to within three, 59-56. But the Bearcats would hold Lincoln to just nine points the remainder of the way. Northwest hit 14-of-16 free throw and got a three-pointer from McAndrews with 2:02 remaining to close out the victory on a 17-9 run. In fact, the Bearcats hit 11-consecutive free throws to close out the game.

Up Next
– Saturday’s game concludes the Bearcats’ 2017-18 season.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University men’s basketball team defeated Lindenwood University, 67-60, on Thursday evening at Hyland Arena in St. Charles, Mo.

The Bearcats claimed at least a share of the MIAA regular season title with the win. It is the program’s fifth-straight regular season title, tying the mark set by Southwest Missouri State University from 1966-1970.

Northwest is now 23-3 overall and 15-3 in MIAA play. The Lions fall to 15-12 overall and 7-11 in conference action.

Joey Witthus led Northwest with 19 points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal.

Key Northwest Statistics
– Northwest shot 53.2 percent (25-of-47) from the field and hit 3-of-11 (27.3 percent) from beyond the arc.

– The Bearcats outrebounded the Lions, 26-23, and outscored Lindenwood, 44-32, in the paint.

– Northwest went 14-for-22 (63.6 percent) from the free throw line, going 10-for-16 in the second half.

– Justin Pitts scored 18 points with three assists, two rebounds and one steal.

– Xavier Kurth finished with 10 points and three rebounds in 39 minutes of play.

– Brett Dougherty shot 3-for-4 from the field and hit four free throws, finishing with 10 points, five rebounds and three assists.

– Tyler Dougherty scored six points with a rebound and an assist in seven minutes of action.

– Ryan Hawkins grabbed six rebounds including a pair of key offensive rebounds, finishing the night with two points and two steals.

– Ryan Welty grabbed five rebounds and also added a steal.

Key Northwest Sequence
– Early in the first half, Northwest found itself down, 4-2, but quickly responded with a 12-3 run. Pitts got things started with a three pointer to give the Bearcats the lead, 5-4. After a missed Lindenwood three, Witthus knocked down a three pointer off a feed from Brett Dougherty. Northwest’s defense forced a missed Lion layup the next time down. Brett Dougherty missed a layup but made a heads-up play to collect his own rebound and converted an uncontested layup to make it a 10-4 lead. Lindenwood would temporarily halt the run with a three-pointer but Kurth would draw a foul the next time down and converted both free throw attempts. Lindenwood again was unsuccessful on a three point attempt and Pitts found Tyler Dougherty for a layup to make it a 14-7 Northwest lead.

– Down the stretch with the score tied, 52-52, Northwest outscored Lindenwood, 15-8, in the final seven minutes of the game. The Bearcats were 7-of-13 from the free throw line and were 4-of-6 from the field. The Lions were held to just 4-of-10 in that stretch, going 1-for-3 from long range. Northwest forced a pair of turnovers on the defensive end.

Up Next
– Northwest concludes the 2017-18 regular season at Lincoln University on Saturday, Feb. 24, in Jefferson City at 3:30 p.m.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University women’s basketball team fell to Lindenwood University, 84-51, on Thursday night at Hyland Arena in St. Charles, Mo.

The Bearcats fall to 4-22 overall and 3-15 in MIAA play with the loss. The Lions improved to 15-12 overall and 7-10 in conference action.

Jaelyn Haggard scored a team-high 10 points and added four assists for Northwest.

Key Northwest Statistics
– Northwest was 14-of-15 at the charity stripe, led by Kaylani Maiava, Zoie Hayward and Macy Williams, who all went 4-for-4.

– The Bearcats outscored the Lions, 19-18, in the fourth quarter, shooting 53.8 percent (7-of-13) in the 10 minute span.

– All 10 players for Northwest who saw action in the game scored at least one point and eight grabbed at least two rebounds.

– Mallory McAndrews finished with nine points, hitting on 3-of-6 long range attempts.

– Hayward finished with eight points, adding two steals and two rebounds.

Up Next
– Northwest concludes the 2017-18 regular season at Lincoln University on Saturday, Feb. 24, in Jefferson City at 1:30 p.m.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team fell to Cameron University, 3-2, on Sunday at McCord Field in Lawton, Okla.

The Bearcats fall to 3-6 overall while the Aggies improve to 7-3.

Key Northwest Statistics
– Northwest scored both of its runs in the seventh inning. Cameron had single runs in the first, fourth and seventh innings.

– The Bearcats had two runs on five hits with three errors. The Aggies had three runs on seven hits with no errors.

– Hudson Bilodeau was 2-for-3 with an RBI.

– Kevin Handzlik went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

– Derek Hussey was 1-for-3.

– Landon Figg went 1-for-3

– Luke Hassman scored a run.

– Logan Rycraft drew a walk.

– Eddy Kraber got the start, going 4.0 innings. He allowed just two runs on five hits. He struck out five and issued one walk.

– Jacob Wagner worked 2.0 innings of hitless relief. He struck out one and did not issue a walk.

– Joe Funkhouser allowed one unearned run in two innings. He gave up two hits, struck out one and did not allow a walk.

Key Northwest Innings
– With one out in the seventh, Hassman was hit by a pitch. After a second out, Handzlik came up with an RBI single to score Hassman. Bilodeau came up with an RBI single to left to score Handzlik to tie the game, 2-2.

Up Next
– The Bearcats are scheduled to begin the MIAA season on Friday, Feb. 23, against Emporia State at 2 p.m. in Maryville, Mo.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University softball team dropped a Sunday double header to No. 1 Minnesota State in St. Joseph, Mo.

The Bearcats (3-5) fell in the first game, 10-0, and lost in extra innings in a tough fought second game, 7-6.

Northwest had 19 hits in the two combined games.

Game One Key Statistics (Minnesota State 10, Northwest 0)
– The Mavericks had seven runs in the third and three in the seventh.

– MSU scored ten runs on nine hits with two errors. Northwest had nine hits with two errors.

– Erin Keeney went 3-for-4 on the day.

– Kiana Baderdeen was 2-for-3 at the plate.

– Jaedra Moses, Rebecca Maher and Jessica Rawie each went 1-for-4.

– Karli Allen was 1-for-3.

Game Two Key Statistics (Minnesota State 7, Northwest 6)
– Northwest scored three runs in the first and three in the third. Mavericks scored two in the first, one in the second, three in the sixth and one in the eighth.

– The Bearcats had six runs on 10 hits with three errors. Minnesota State had seven runs on 10 hits with three errors.

– Abigail Gilson was 3-for-4 at the plate with a run scored.

– Keeney went 2-for-4 with a double. She scored a run and also drove in a run.

– Moses was 1-for-3 with two runs scored and also drew a walk.

– Kaitlyn Weis went 1-for-4.

– Rawie was 1-for-3. She had one homerun, a sacrifice fly and finished with three RBIs.

– Allen went 1-for-4 with an RBI.

– Sydne Brashear was 1-for-3 with an RBI and one walk.

– Rachel Smith pitched 4.0 innings allowing only two earned runs on seven hits. She struck out two and did not issue a walk.

Game Two Key Innings
– Maher lead off the game by reaching on an error. Moses got on safely by fielder’s choice while Maher was forced out at second. After an out, Keeney doubled to right field to score Moses from first base. Rawie followed that up with a two run blast to left to make it 3-0 Northwest.

– Moses started off the third inning with a walk. After an out, Moses advanced to second on a throwing error. Keeney then reached on an error and was pinch ran for by Lynnlee Parrott. Moses then scored on a sacrifice fly by Rawie to give Northwest the lead. Gilson reached on a single to center field advancing Parrott to second. Allen singled to right field scoring Parrott from second base. Brashear doubled to left driving in Gilson to make it 6-3 Bearcats.

Up Next
– Northwest will take on Sioux Falls on Saturday in Joplin, Mo., starting at 2 p.m.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University men’s basketball team fell to Missouri Southern, 73-70, on Saturday afternoon at Bearcat Arena in Maryville, Mo.

– Northwest falls to 22-3 overall and 14-3 in MIAA play. The Lions improved to 18-8 overall and 13-4 in conference action. Southern sweeps the season series against the Bearcats and has beaten Northwest three times the last two seasons.

– Four Bearcats scored in double figures, led by Xavier Kurth’s career-high 19 points performance.

– Kurth, Justin Pitts, Chris-Ebou Ndow and Brett Dougherty were all honored prior to the game as part of senior day.

Key Northwest Statistics
– Northwest shot 50.9 percent (27-for-53) from the field and hit 6-of-18 (33.3 percent) from beyond the arc.

– The Lions connected on 10-of-24 (41.7 percent) three point attempts and shot 49 percent (25-of-51) from the field.

– CJ Carr led Missouri Southern with 33 points and four steals. The Lions led at halftime, 36-33.

– Kurth added six rebounds and a steal, going 3-for-6 from beyond the arc and 2-of-3 at the charity stripe.

– Joey Witthus had 17 points on 7-of-15 shooting. He hit all three of his free throws and added four rebounds and a steal.

– Brett Dougherty had 12 points and three rebounds, blocking three shots and adding two assists.

– Pitts finished with 13 points, two assists and two rebounds.

Up Next
– Northwest will head to Lindenwood University on Thursday, Feb. 22 for a 7:30 p.m. MIAA contest in St. Charles, Mo.

— Northwest Athletics —