By David Boyce

MARYVILLE, Mo. – Four months in a college basketball season makes a big difference. Northwest Missouri State learned that lesson Saturday evening and fortunately it didn’t come with a heartbreaking loss.

Northwest, the No. 1 seed and host school in the Central Region, regrouped from a disastrous conclusion at the end of regulation and beat Upper Iowa 79-74 in overtime in front of 2,195 fans at Bearcat Arena.

“What a performance by Upper Iowa,” Northwest coach Ben McCollum said. “They are the eighth seed in the tournament and they gave us all that we could handle. They played unbelievable.

“We got caught in the moment a little bit. We missed shots we normally make and missed free throws we normally make. The thing that we did do was we didn’t let all the bad plays affect your competitiveness.”

In the season opener for both teams, Northwest beat Upper Iowa 87-53 on Nov. 11.

“I don’t remember that game,” Upper Iowa coach Brooks McKowen said with a laugh. “It wasn’t our best showing.

“But I am proud of what our guys did tonight. We battled. We did everything we could to win that game. I thought both teams deserved to win it.”

The Peacocks came oh so close to making Northwest’s magical season disappear. But the Bearcats had a few tricks up their sleeves in the 5-minute overtime to continue their March Madness run.

Northwest, 30-1, advances to the regional semifinal game for the fourth straight season, and will play 7:30 p.m. Sunday.

The way the end of regulation concluded and overtime started, the situation looked bleak for Northwest in front of one of the largest crowds ever at Bearcat Arena.

All the momentum was riding with the Peacocks, who hit a miracle three-pointer by Carson Parker to send the game in overtime. Parker then made two free throws at the start of overtime to give Upper Iowa a 65-63 lead.

Fortunately for Northwest, it has MIAA Player of the Year, junior Justin Pitts, on its side. Pitts tied the game with a floater and then made a three-point play to give Northwest a 68-65 lead. Pitts added another bucket with 2:20 left, increasing Northwest’s lead to 71-65. Upper Iowa never got closer than three points the rest of the game.

“I was trying to be aggressive and play my game,” said Pitts, who finished with a game-high 33 points. “After they scored on those two free throws, it was Chris-Ebou Ndow who came up to me and said, ‘take over. This is your game. Go out and play.’ It feels great to have your teammates have that confidence in you.”

There is a reason why teammates have confidence in Pitts’ scoring ability. He became the all-time leading scorer at Northwest Saturday evening.

“I didn’t know that,” Pitts said. “It is a big accomplishment for me as an individual, but right now I am not thinking about that. I am just getting ready for the next game.”

Missed free throws by Northwest in the final 7 minutes led to overtime. At one point, the Bearcats missed four straight free throws and that allowed Upper Iowa to turn a 56-49 deficit into a 58-56 lead with 3:30 left.

“They just made plays,” Northwest senior D’Vante Mosby said. “A lot of them were gutsy plays. A lot of them were on our mistakes as well. They did a really good job capitalizing on them.”

Northwest scored the next five points and held a 61-58 lead with 1:43 left. Leading 63-60 with 8 second left, Northwest had a chance to put the game away at the free throw line. The Bearcats only needed one. They missed both.

Those misses opened the door for Parker to make an amazing three-pointer. He dribbled around a defender twice and then fired a three-pointer at the top of the key that swished through the nets as the buzzer sounded.

“It was a big-time shot,” McCollum said. “My instinct was to cry, to be honest. But it really doesn’t do you a whole lot of good in that situation. So it is let’s go. We have 5 more minutes. You can’t let that break you.

“So much went wrong tonight, but what didn’t go wrong was our ability to compete. We competed.”

Parker, who finished with 20 points, also competed as he demonstrated with his clutch three-pointer.

“I got a glimpse of how much time was left,” Parker said. “I tried to get the best look I could. Obviously, we needed a three. I was fortunate enough it went in.”

In the first half, Northwest needed one hot stretch to take a 38-33 lead into halftime.

The Bearcats took a 7-4 lead early in the first half on a three-pointer by senior Zach Schneider. But it was clear Upper Iowa was going to stay close to the Bearcats.

The Peacocks tied the game at 15-15 and continued to make it tough for Northwest to get on a run.

Ahead 18-17, Northwest finally put together a spurt that created some separation. It started with a three-pointer by Pitts and a basket in the paint by senior Anthony Woods, who finished with 16 points

After Upper Iowa scored, Northwest went on a 10-2 run for a 33-21 lead. Pitts scored six points in the spurt. Seemingly in control with a 35-23 lead, the Bearcats started missing three-pointers and Upper Iowa clogged up the paint.

Solid defense by the Peacocks helped them crawl back in the game. They outscored Northwest 10-3 to close out the first half.

Upper Iowa found success offensively, going 15 for 27 from the field for 55.6 percent. Northwest wasn’t as efficient on offense, going 13 for 29 from the field for 44.8 percent.

In the end, Northwest prevailed.

“Survive and advance,” McCollum said.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team fell to the Washburn Ichabods in a pair of games on Friday at Falley Field in Topeka, Kan.

– The game was moved to Washburn’s field due to weather concerns. Northwest was the home team in both contests.

– The Ichabods won the first game, 6-2, and used a five-run seventh inning in the second game to win, 8-2.

– The Bearcats fall to 11-8 on the year and 3-6 in MIAA play. Washburn improved to 13-7 and 5-4 in conference action.
Game One Key Statistics (Washburn 6, Northwest 2)
– Northwest scored one run in the fifth and one in the sixth. The Ichabods scored two runs in the third, two in the fourth, one in the fifth and one in the seventh.

– The Bearcats had two runs on eight hits with two errors. Washburn had six runs on seven hits with one error.

– Garrett Fort was 2-for-5 with an RBI single in the fifth.

– Logan Rycraft was 2-for-3 with a triple, a walk and a run scored.

– James Holler was 1-for-3 with an RBI double and a walk.

– Luke Hassman was 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored.

– Ozzie Adams as 1-for-4 with a walk.

– Kevin Handzlik drew a walk.

– Anthony Caenepeel got the start, going 6.2 innings. He allowed five earned runs on six hits. He struck out five and walked four. He worked perfect first and sixth innings.

– Quintin Van Ackeren worked the final two innings. He allowed just one hit and struck out three. He did not allow a walk or a run.

Game One Key Innings
– In the fifth, Rycraft hit a one out triple to right and came around to score on Fort’s RBI single to center.

– With one down in the sixth, Hassman doubled to right center on the first pitch of the at bat. Holler then connected on a 3-2 pitch to right center for an RBI double for Northwest’s second run of the game.
Game Two Key Statistics (Washburn 8, Northwest 2)
– The Bearcats scored single runs in the eighth and ninth innings. Washburn had one run in the fourth, two in the fifth and five in the seventh.

– Northwest finished the game with two runs on six hits with no errors. The Ichabods had eight runs on 10 hits and committed two errors.

– Landon Figg was 2-for-4 in the second game.

– Holler hit a solo home run in the ninth inning.

– Kolby Greenslade was 1-for-4 with a run scored in the eighth inning.

– Fort was 1-for-5 with a double.

– Handzlik was 1-for-4.

– Adams had a sacrifice fly RBI in the eighth inning.

– Alixon Herrera, Nick Howard and Rycraft all reached on walks.

– Brad Roberts started the second game, going 4.1 innings. He allowed three runs on five hits. He struck out five and walked two.

– Roberts worked three-up, three-down innings in the first and third frames.

– Nikko Pablo pitched the final two innings. He allowed no runs on two hits.

Game Two Key Innings
– Greenslade led off the eighth inning with a single to center. Fort moved him to third with a double to right. Adams was able to drive in Greenslade from third on a sacrifice fly to right.

– Down in the count, 1-2, Holler launched his first home run of the season to begin the Northwest ninth inning.

Up Next
– Northwest will host William Jewell on Wednesday, March 15, at 2 p.m. in a non-conference matchup at Bearcat Field.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri University baseball team beat Washburn, 5-1, on Thursday afternoon in an MIAA contest at Bearcat Field in Maryville, Mo.

– Northwest improves to 11-6 overall and 3-4 in MIAA play. The Ichabods fall to 11-7 and 3-4 in conference action.

– Joseph Hietpas went the full 9.0 innings, allowing just one run on two hits. He struck out eight batters and walked just one.

– Logan Rycraft was 3-for-3 with a double, a stolen base, an RBI and also scored a run.

Key Northwest Statistics
– The Bearcats scored one run in the fourth, one in the sixth and three in the seventh. Washburn scored a single run in the fourth.

– Northwest had five runs on 10 hits with one error. The Ichabods had one run on two hits with two errors.

– Ozzie Adams was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. He had a double and also drew a walk.

– Landon Figg was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a double in the seventh..

– Luke Hassman drove in a run in the fourth and was 1-for-3. He was also hit by a pitch.

– Garrett Fort was 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

– Luke Wilkinson was 1-for-2 with a walk.

– Hietpas set the Ichabods down in order in the first, third, fifth, sixth and ninth innings.

Key Northwest Innings
– Adams drew a walk to lead off the fourth and came around to score on a Hassman single two batters later to tie the game at 1-1.

– Adams again found his way on base to begin a frame, starting the sixth with a double to left. He went to third on a passed ball. Figg hit an infield single to first, driving in Adams to give the Bearcats a 1-0 lead.

– Wilkinson started the seventh by hitting a foul ball behind the plate that the catcher dropped for an error. The designated hitter made Washburn pay with a double to right center. Joseph Curtis came in to pinch run. After an out, Rycraft doubled to score Curtis making it 3-1. Fort followed it with a single to drive in Rycraft to make it 4-1. After a pitching change, Fort came around to score on an Adams single.

Up Next
– The series will now shift to Topeka, Kan., due to weather. The Bearcats and the Ichabods will play Friday, March 10, at 3 p.m. followed by a 2 p.m. game on Saturday.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University softball team picked up a pair of wins over Lincoln on Thursday afternoon at Bearcat Field in Maryville, Mo.

– The Bearcats won both games by run rule, winning 11-2 and 11-3.

– Northwest is now 10-6 overall and 2-0 in MIAA play. The Blue Tigers fall to 2-16 on the year and 0-2 in conference action.

– In the two games, the Bearcats had 31 total hits. Every batter Northwest sent to the plate in the two games combined finished with at least two hits and one RBI.
Game One Key Northwest Statistics (Northwest 11, Lincoln 2)

– The Bearcats scored three runs in the second, one in the third and seven in the sixth inning. Lincoln got both runs in the fifth inning.

– Northwest had 11 runs on 14 hits while the Blue Tigers had two runs on seven hits. Neither team committed an error.

– Kiana Baderdeen was 1-for-4 with a walk-off grand slam in the sixth, driving in four runs.

– Karli Allen was 4-for-4 with two runs scored.

– Chantel Adams was 2-for-3 with three runs scored, two RBIs and a walk.

– Torrie Blythe was 1-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI. She drew two walks and stole two bases.

– Jaedra Moses was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and a run scored.

– Rebecca Maher was 1-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI double.

– Kaitlin Weis was 1-for-4. She pitched the final three outs, allowing just one hit while striking out one.

– Jessica Rawie was 1-for-4 with a run scored.

– Abigail Gilson was 1-for-3 with an RBI double, a walk and a run scored.

– Taylor Blackford got her fourth win of the year, going 5.0 innings. She allowed just two runs on six hits with one walk allowed.

Game One Key Northwest Innings
– Adams drew a walk to begin the second and went to second on a wild pitch. Gilson walked with one down to put two runners on for Allen who singled to wright to load the bases. Blythe drew a walk to force in a run to make it 1-0. Moses then hit a single down the left field line, scoring Allen and Gilson to make it 3-0 Bearcats.

– With one down in the third, Adams singled to left and came around to score two batters later on a Gilson double.

– Blythe led off the sixth with a single to left and then stole second. Moses reached on a fielder’s choice for Maher who doubled to dirve in Blythe. After a popout, Adams singled to left center to score Maher and Moses. Rawie singled to left to move Adams up to second. After a second out, Allen hit a swinging bunt single to load the bases. Baderdeen then ended the game by taking an 0-1 pitch over the left field fence for a grand slam, ending the game.
Game Two Key Northwest Statistics (Northwest 11, Lincoln 3)
– The Bearcats scored two runs in the first, two in the fourth and seven in the sixth. Lincoln scored all three runs in the fourth inning.

– Northwest had 11 runs on 17 hits with one error. The Blue Tigers had three runs on three hits with no errors.

– Blythe was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, a walk, a triple and a stolen base.

– Moses was 2-for-2 with two runs scored and an RBI. She also drew a walk, stole a base and hit a sacrifice fly.

– Maher drove in three runs with two hits, a run scored and a walk.

– Weis also drove in three runs with a pair of hits. She scored once and had a double. She pitched the fifth and sixth innings, allowing no hits with four strikeouts.

– Adams was 2-for-4 with a run scored.

– Gilson was 1-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI on a solo home run to start the fourth inning.

– Rawie was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and a run scored. She also had a double.

– Allen was 1-for-3 with an RBI.

– Baderdeen stole two bases, going 3-for-3 with a run scored and a double.

– Holly Posegate got the win, throwing 4.0 innings. She allowed three unearned runs on three hits. She walked two while striking out three.

Game Two Key Northwest Innings
– Blythe opened the bottom of the first with a triple to right field. Moses then drew a walk and stole second. Maher then drove in both runners with an RBI single to left.

– Gilson led off the fourth with a solo home run to left field to tie the game, 3-3. Rawie then singled to left and went to second on an Allen sacrifice bunt. Baderdeen’s single moved Rawie to third. Two batters later, Moses hit a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Rawie to make it a 4-3 Northwest lead.

– In the sixth, Baderden hit a one-out single and then stole second. A Blythe bunt single moved Baderdeen to third. Moses loaded the bases as she reached on a bunt single. Maher drove in Baderdeen with a single to left and Weis cleared the bases with a double to left center. Adams followed it with a single to right and Gilson walked to load the bases for Rawie. Rawie hit a double to left center, scoring two to make it 10-3. Allen ended the game with a single up the middle, scoring Gilson from third.
Up Next

– Northwest will host Lindenwood on Friday, March 10, at 1 and 3 p.m.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University men’s and women’s tennis teams opened the MIAA season against Washburn on Wednesday afternoon at the Frank Grube Tennis Courts in Maryville, Mo.

– The No. 12 ranked men’s team moved to 3-1 on the year with a 7-2 victory over No. 37 Washburn, who drops to 7-2 overall.

– The Bearcat women fell to Washburn, 5-4, and are now 0-3 on the year. The Ichabods improve to 6-2 on the year.

– Romain Boissinot, Sergi Fontcuberta, Aymeric Autones and Josef Altmann all earned singles and doubles victories for the men.

– Fin Glowick picked up a win at No. 6 singles.

– Margaux Jacquet picked up a pair of points for Northwest at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles, teaming with Tess Lovig for Northwest’s first points of the match.

– Irene Nunez and Luiza Souza both won at No. 4 and No. 5 singles, respectively.

Men’s Results
1. Boissinot,Romain (NW) def. Valarezo Plaza,Aleja (WU) 7-6, 4-6, 12-10
2. Fontcuberta,Sergi (NW) def. Hunter,Blake (WU) 6-2, 6-4
3. Barlow,Matt (WU) def. Tete,Mauro (NW) 7-6, 6-4
4. Altmann,Josef (NW) def. Hunter,Tommy (WU) 6-1, 6-4
5. Autones,Aymeric (NW) def. Haase,Paul (WU) 6-3, 7-6
6. Glowick,Fin (NW) def. Brill,Chase (WU) 6-3, 6-4

1. Hunter,Blake/Valarezo Plaza,Aleja (WU) def. Tete,Mauro/Serrano,Jorge (NW) 8-3
2. Boissinot,Romain/Fontcuberta,Sergi (NW) def. Hunter,Tommy/Barlow,Matt (WU) 8-3
3. Autones,Aymeric/Altmann,Josef (NW) def. Haase,Paul/Brill,Chase (WU) 8-4

Women’s Results
1. Hill,Madeline (WU) def. Jarolim,Lorena Rivas (NW) 6-1, 6-0
2. Engelbrecht,Jacqueli (WU) def. Teruel,Tania (NW) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
3. Morrissey,Logan (WU) def. Kolen,Aniek (NW) 4-6, 6-1, 6-1
4. Nunez,Irene (NW) def. Gonzales,MaKenna (WU) 6-1, 6-3
5. Souza,Luiza (NW) def. Lysaught,Madison (WU) 2-6, 6-3, 7-6
6. Jacquet,Margaux (NW) def. Burr,Ally (WU) 6-1, 6-4

1. Hill,Madeline/Engelbrecht,Jacqueli (WU) def. Jarolim,Lorena Rivas/Souza,Luiza (NW) 8-1
2. Gonzales,MaKenna/Morrissey,Logan (WU) def. Teruel,Tania/Kolen,Aniek (NW) 8-1
3. Jacquet,Margaux/Lovig,Tess (NW) def. Burr,Ally/Lysaught,Madison (WU) 8-1

Up Next
– Both men’s and women’s teams will head to Springfield, Mo., this Friday to take on Drury at 2 p.m.

— Northwest Athletics —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University junior Brad Roberts has been named the MIAA Pitcher of the Week in a release from the league office on Tuesday.

Roberts got the win on Sunday, throwing 7.0 innings of shutout baseball. He allowed just two hits and three walks while striking out six. The game was called in the seventh due to the league run rule.

Northwest will host Washburn at home this weeekend at Bearcat Field.

— Northwest Athletics —

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Northwest Missouri State University men’s basketball team secured the MIAA’s automatic bid and the NCAA Central Region’s top seed to the 2016-17 NCAA Tournament. The Bearcats will now host a seven-game regional tournament in Maryville, Mo., starting Saturday, March 11.

Northwest’s first round game against No. 8 seed Upper Iowa is scheduled for Saturday, March 11, at 6 p.m. at Bearcat Arena. The second round will be on Sunday, March 12 and the Sweet 16 round will be on Tuesday, March 14. The National Championship Elite Eight will be held in Sioux Falls, S.D., starting on March 22. Northwest has advanced to the Central Region championship game each of the past three seasons.

Northwest is making its 17th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and the fifth appearance under head coach Ben McCollum (6-4 overall). McCollum, who is in his eighth season, was named the MIAA Coach of the Year for the third straight year after leading the Bearcats (29-1, 18-1) to a fourth-straight MIAA regular season title and second-straight MIAA Tournament title. Justin Pitts was named the MIAA Player of the Year for the second straight year and earned first team All-MIAA honors.

NCAA Central Region
1. Northwest Missouri (Host) – 29-1
2. Southwest Minnesota State – 26-5
3. East Central – 24-7
4. Arkansas-Monticello – 23-6
5. Augustana (S.D.) – 23-8
6. MSU-Moorhead – 24-5
7. Arkansas Tech – 21-7
8. Upper Iowa – 22-10

Saturday, March 11
Noon: No. 3 East Central vs. No. 6 MSU Moorhead(Session 1)
2:15 p.m.: No. 2 Southwest Minnesota State vs. No. 7 Arkansas Tech (Session 1)

6 p.m.: No. 1 Northwest vs. No. 8 Upper Iowa (Session 2)
8:15 p.m.: No. 4 Arkansas-Monticello vs. No. 5 Augustana (Session 2)

Sunday, March 12
5 p.m.: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
7:30 p.m.: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4

Tuesday, March 14
7 p.m.: Championship Game

— Northwest Athletics —

By David Boyce

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – No drama. No last-second shots. Northwest Missouri State simply took control of the MIAA Tournament championship game in the latter stages of the first half and efficiently put an end to Central Missouri’s season.

The Bearcats repeated as MIAA Tournament champions with a 69-61 victory Sunday afternoon at Municipal Auditorium. Central Missouri needed to win to keep its season alive.

“This was great,” said Northwest senior Zach Schneider said. “Mac (Northwest coach Ben McCollum) told us that since the tournament moved here, no team has won back-to-back titles. It is another thing to add to our list. I am just glad we were able to do it in front of a huge Bearcat crowd. That was awesome.”

Northwest, 29-1, will now return to Maryville, Mo., and at 9:30 p.m. Sunday, get confirmation that it will play host to the eight-team Central Regional, which starts Saturday. The Division II Tournament selection show will be streamed on NCAA.com.

“This atmosphere was great,” said junior Brett Dougherty, who finished with nine points and seven rebounds. “We are going to see the same thing at our place. It should be a lot of fun.”

In the Bearcats’ first two wins in the MIAA Tournament, Northwest needed to make plays on offense and defense until the final seconds to come away with four-point victories over Lincoln University and Missouri Southern.

“The first two games were unbelievably difficult, and even this game was tough at the start,” McCollum said. “Our kids stayed focused and now it is on to the next.”

Northwest had much more control of the second half this time around. The Mules scored the first basket in the second half to cut their deficit to 40-30.

The Bearcats scored the next five points on a basket by Dougherty and a three-pointer by freshman Ryan Welty.

“It felt really good,” said Welty, who was 3-for-3 on three-point shots. “We got a lot of shots off. The guards did a good job driving and kicking out. It felt good to see them go down today.”

Northwest grabbed too many offensive rebounds and were making too many shots to let Central chip away. In fact, the Bearcats expanded their advantage over the next several minutes.

When Welty hit another three-pointer with 12:50 left, the Bearcats held a commanding 59-36 lead. At that point, Northwest was content to take time off the clock. They only scored seven points over the next 11 minutes. Central kept playing hard and closed to 66-55, but only 1:50 remained in the game.

“It is a lot less nerve-wracking,” Schneider said. “It was nice we were able to relax a little bit in the last 10 minutes and get our legs under us.”

In the final 10 minutes of the first half, Northwest put together it best offensive stretch in the tournament. The execution in those minutes turned a close game into a 40-28 halftime lead for the Bearcats.

“I didn’t think we came out great, and Central did come out energetic,” McCollum said. “We slowly found our rhythm offensively. We are able to expose some things they were doing defensively. We guarded them well.”

Central took an early 11-6 lead. Northwest scored the next seven points and grabbed its first lead at 13-11 and the fun began. Over the next 3 minutes, the lead changed hands four times.

The Mules took a 14-13 lead on a three-pointer. Northwest responded with a basket by Pitts. Central went back in front with another three-pointer. Pitts put Northwest back in front with a three-pointer, making it 18-17.

Northwest didn’t stop there. The Bearcats solidified their advantage with a four-point play from Schneider, making it 22-17. The Mules never recovered.

“It set the tone,” Schneider said. “We kind of came out slow. I think that was the turning point in the game. From then on, we rode that wave and really played well the rest of the way.”

The Bearcats continued to make baskets at a faster rate than Central. When senior Anthony Woods scored a two-point field goal, Northwest held it first double-digit lead at 35-24 with 4:19 left. Three minutes later, the lead ballooned to 40-26 when Pitts nailed a three-pointer just before the shot-clock buzzer.

“We had a good stretch there where we out-rebounded them, getting O-boards and easy buckets,” Welty said. “It didn’t put the game away, but it gave us an advantage in the second half.”

Northwest shot 53.3 percent from the field and pulled down nine more rebounds, which contributed to the Bearcats taking eight more shots.

“Winning this tournament means a lot,” Dougherty said. “For us, winning a tournament, is a whole other deal. Putting games together like this in a tough conference is pretty cool.”

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team beat Lindenwood University, 10-0, on Sunday afternoon at Bearcat Field in Maryville, Mo.

– The game was called in the seventh inning due to the conference’s run rule.

– The Bearcats improved to 10-6 on the year with the win and are now 2-4 in conference play. The Lions fall to 9-7 and 3-3 in MIAA action with the loss.

– Brad Roberts threw all seven innings for Northwest. He allowed just two hits on the afternoon, striking out six with three wallks. It was his second win of the year.

– Landon Figg was 3-for-4 on the day with three runs scored and two RBIs. He had a pair of doubles in the game.

Key Northwest Statistics
– The Bearcats scored three in the first, one in the third, one in the fifth and five in the seventh.

– Northwest finished the game with 10 runs on eight hits with no errors. Lindenwood had two hits and committed two errors.

– James Holler was 2-for-3 with three RBIs, a stolen base and a run scored. He also drew a walk. His RBI triple in the seventh gave Northwest a 9-0 lead.

– Luke Hassman went 1-for-3 with three runs driven in. He also crossed the plate once and hit a sacrifice fly.

– Kolby Greenslade got a hit in his only at bat, coming in the seventh inning. His single to center drove in the winning run.

– Ozzie Adams was 1-for-3 with a walk. He scored three times on the day.

– Garrett Fort drew a pair of walks and came around to score twice.

– Alixon Herrera and Logan Rycraft both drew walks in the game. Rycraft was hit by a pitch and stole a base.

Key Northwest Innings
– Fort led off the game with a walk and Adams reached on an error by the short stop. Figg laced a ball that hit the Lindenwood pitcher, allowing him to reach on an infield single to load the bases. Hassman singled to right to drive in Fort to make it 1-0. Holler then ripped a double down the right field line to score Adams and Figg. Hassman was tagged out at the plate on the play, trying to score from first.

– In the third, Hassman hit a deep double over the left fielder’s head to begin the inning and went to third on a wild pitch. After a pair of outs, Hassman came home on another Lindenwood wild pitch to make it 4-0 Bearcats.

– Adams drew a four-pitch walk to begin the fifth inning for Northwest. A wild pitch allowed him to go to second and he moved to third on a groundout to the right side. Hassman came up with a sacrifice fly to left, making it a 5-0 Bearcat lead.

– The bottom of the seventh started with a walk by Fort and Adams hit a single up the middle that couldn’t be fielded by the pitcher. Figg found a gap in left center for a stand-up double, driving in both runners. After a pitching change, Figg moved up to third on a wild pitch. Hassman hit a grounder to short but the throw home to get Figg bounced to the back stop, allowing Figg to score and Hassman to take second. Holler hit an RBI triple to deep left to make it 9-0 Bearcats. Greenslade was called on to pinch hit and delivered a single up the middle, scoring the winning run.

Up Next
– The Bearcats continue their seven-game homestand on Friday, March 10, with a 2 p.m. MIAA contest against Washburn.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University softball team got two wins on Sunday over McKendree University, 5-1, and Upper Iowa, 10-0.

– Both games were played as part of the Teri Mathis-Zenner Tournament hosted by Missouri Southern in Joplin, Mo.

– Northwest went 4-0 over the weekend to move its record to 8-6 on the season with the two wins on Sunday.

Game One Key Statistics (Northwest 5, McKendree 1)
– Northwest scored one run in the second, two in the fifth and two in the seventh. McKendree scored its lone run in the fourth.

– Northwest had five runs on seven hits with two errors. McKendree scored one run and was limited to two hits and two errors.

– Kaitlin Weis was 2-for-3 in the first game with an RBI and a run scored.

– Abigail Gilson was 2-for-3, driving in a pair of runs and scoring once. She led off the fifth inning with a solo shot to left.

– Torri Blythe reached base twice on walks, stole a base and crossed the plate twice.

– Jessica Rawie was 1-for-3 in the first game.

– Karli Allen was 1-for-3 with a run scored.

– Rebecca Maher drive in a run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh.

– Weis, Chantel Adams and Kiana Baderdeen all recorded sacrifice bunts.

– Taylor Blackford got the complete game victory in the circle. She allowed just two hits, no earned runs and struck out three.

Game One Key Innings
– Weis led off the second with a single to left. After a sacrifice bunt to move her to second, Gilson drove her in with a single down the left field line to make it 1-0 Northwest.

– Gilson led off the fifth by breaking the 1-1 tie with a home run on a full count to left field. After a pair of outs, Blythe drew a walk. She then stole second and reached third on an error by the catcher. Moses reached on an error by the first baseman, allowing Blythe to score from third.

– In the seventh, Allen singled to lead off and went to second on a Baderdeen sacrifice bunt. After a Blythe walk, Moses singled to left center to load the bases. Maher hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Allen to make it 4-1. Weis then hit an infield single to short, allowing Blythe to score to make it 5-1 Northwest.
Game Two Key Statistics (Northwest 10, Upper Iowa 0)
– The Bearcats scored three runs in the second, three in the third and four in the fourth.

– Northwest had 10 runs on 13 hits with one error. Upper Iowa had two hits in the game that was called after five innings due to the run rule.

– Holly Posegate got the win, pitching 5.0 innings. She allowed just the two hits and did not issue a walk. It was her fifth win of the season.

– Gilson was 3-for-3 with three RBIs, three runs scored and a home run.

– Rawie was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and three runs scored.

– Baderdeen was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a double.

– Maher was 2-for-3 with a run scored. She had a double to lead off the fourth inning.

– Weis was 2-for-4 with a home run and a double.

– Adams was 1-for-2 with a pair of walks. She scored twice in the second game and recorded a triple.

– Allen went 1-for-3 with an RBI.

– Blythe drove in two runs and stole a base.

Game Two Key Innings
– Adams led off the second with a triple to right and came in to score on a Rawie single. Northwest would load the bases for Baderdeen who grounded out to second but Rawie was able to come around to score. Blythe hit into a fielder’s choice that allowed Gilson, who singled earlier, to come in for the inning’s third run.

– The third inning started with a Weis home run ot right center. Three batters later, Allen singled to drive in Rawie who had reached on a fielder’s choice. Baderdeen would hit a single to load the bases and force a pitching change. Blythe then drew a bases loaded walk to force in a run to make it 6-0 Bearcats.

– Maher doubled to center to start the fourth. After an out, Adams drew a walk and Rawie singled to right, scoring Maher. Gilson added the exclamation point with a home run to center, driving in three to make it a 10-0 game.
Up Next

– Northwest will play a double header at William Jewell on Wednesday, March 8 at 1 and 3 p.m.
— Northwest Athletics —