Bearcats finish 1-4 at Crossover Tournament

It was not the Saturday coach Ryan Anderson had planned for his Northwest Missouri State women's softball team as they took game one 1-0, but then lost the next two 5-1 and 4-2 to finish out the NSIC/MIAA Crossover tournament.

Jenna Creger got the ball for the Bearcats in the first game and threw seven innings of lights out softball.

Creger went the distance to collect her fourth win of the season. The senior pitcher posted eight strikeouts, four walks and gave up only two hits.

Rachael Schmitz knocked in Kristine Labertew with an RBI single to center field to score the lone run for the Bearcats. It would be the only run the team would need as they grabbed the 1-0 victory over Sioux Falls.

Northwest could not overcome the 13 players left on base in game two as they stranded bases loaded in the second and third innings. Upper Iowa scored one in the first inning and added three in the fifth and one in the sixth.

The Bearcats added one run in the top of the sixth inning when Taszia Roseberry hit her second home run of the season. The team could not rally in the seventh and fell to Upper Iowa 5-1 as Abbie Vitosh picked up her second loss of the season.

Candace Miller and Hailee Hendricks both collected two hits a piece against Concordia-St. Paul but it was not enough. Schmitz and Kailee Sherer scored the teams two runs as the Bearcats fell 4-2.

Paige Blythe started for Northwest and went three innings giving up seven hits, three earned runs and one walk. Jenna Creger came back to pitch the final three innings while collecting four strikeouts and giving up one hit.

The Bearcats went 1-4 at the NSIC/MIAA Crossover tournament and move their season record to 8-4.

Northwest will continue to be on the road as they will travel to Joplin, Mo. for the Teri Mathis-Zenner Memorial Tournament Saturday and Sunday. The Bearcats will take on Illinois-Springfield, Tarleton-State, Sioux Falls and Oklahoma Christian. First pitch will be 1 p.m. Saturday against Illinois-Springfield.

Friday's Results

On the first day of the NSIC/MIAA Crossover the Northwest Missouri State softball team lost its first two games of the season falling late to Minnesota State Mankato 3-2 and were shutout by St. Cloud State 3-0.

Minnesota State Mankato rallied in the sixth inning to win 3-2. Jenna Creger received the loss after allowing the three runs. Creger's record falls to 3-1 as the senior allowed her first runs of the season.

The only two runs of the day came from a homerun hit by Stephanie Price in the first inning. Price's homerun scored Kristen Uthe who had reached on a single.

"It wasn't like we were getting beat seven-nothing. We were in both games, but at the plate we weren't," said Head Coach Ryan Anderson.

Courtney McKelvogue picked up the complete game win for MSU scattering 10 hits and striking out 10 Bearcats.

Kelly Franks, of St. Cloud State, pitched a 3-0 shutout against the Bearcats in the second game. Franks struck out 11of the batters she faced in the game only allowing four hits.

Abbie Vitosh was credited with the loss in the game moving her record to 2-1 for the season.

Vitosh gave up two homeruns against St. Cloud, as the other run was scored off an error on a throw to third by Cantrell.

Candace Miller recorded two of the Bearcats four hits in the loss.