Bearcat softball sweeps SBU, splits with UCM

The Northwest Missouri State softball team put up 19 runs in a doubleheader against Central Missouri Saturday, providing enough ammunition for a split.

Northwest lost the first game 9-6 in 10 innings and bounced back strong to win game two 13-4 in five innings.

The Bearcats, who swept Southwest Baptist Friday, are now 13-5 overall and 3-1 in the MIAA.

Game one with UCM was a back a fourth slugfest. Northwest scored two in the first inning when Maddie Jones hit a bases loaded double to center field. UCM then answered with one run in the second and two runs in the third inning to go up 3-2.

The Jennies added two more runs with a home run in the top of the fifth inning before Northwest put up two runs of their own in the bottom half to trail 5-4. Stephanie Price hit a deep home run to left center with Hailee Hendricks on first to bring them within one. It was Price's fourth home run of the season.

Jordan Ereth hit a sacrifice fly that scored Kailee Sherer from third base to tie the game up at 5-5.

Northwest and UCM went scoreless until the top of the 10th inning when the international tie breaker was implemented.

In the international tie breaker the last recorded out begins the inning at second base.

Central Missouri put up four runs in the top half of the 10th. The Bearcats could only answer with one run to fall 9-6.

Jenna Creger went all 10 innings collecting 10 strikeouts giving up 13 hits and 8 earned runs to move her record to 6-2 on the season.

Northwest was able to get the bats going early in the second game putting up 11 runs in the first two innings.

Maddie Jones knocked in Candace Miller and Ereth with a single to left field. Sherer walked with the bases loaded to plate Hendricks to put the Bearcats up 3-0 after the first inning.

Northwest hitters walked six times leading to three runs in the second inning. Ereth doubled down the left field line to score Sherer and Cantrell followed by Miller who knocked in Rachel Schmitz and Ereth. Jones scored on a passed ball to total eight runs in the inning.

The Jennies were able to plate three runs in the fourth inning and one run in the fifth to bring the game to 11-4.

Miller led off the inning with her third hit of the game and was on first when Price sent her team leading, fifth home run of the season flying over the right field fence to go up 13-4.

The walk-off home run instituted the run rule giving Abbie Vitosh the complete game victory. Vitosh earned her fifth victory of the season giving up six hits, four earned runs and one strike out.

The Bearcats will take on rival Missouri Western Tuesday for a double-header at Bearcat Field with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m.

Friday's Results

Location did not matter for the Northwest Missouri State softball team who were supposed to host Southwest Baptist for their home opener, but instead played in Platte City, Mo. and swept the double-header winning 14-1 in game one and 7-3 in game two.

Northwest took advantage of Southwest Baptist pitching in game one as they walked nine times in the five inning run rule shortened game.

The Bearcats put up five runs with RBI's by Maddie Jones, Kristine Labertew, Kylie Cantrell, Kaylie Sherer and Jordan Ereth as they batted around in the first inning.

Northwest again plated five runners in the second inning. Hailee Hendricks scored on a fielder's choice, followed by Cantrell who hit a double to center field that scored two. Cantrell would later score along with Rachel Schmitz to put the Bearcats up 10-0.

Schmitz walked with bases load in the bottom of the third to bring in the teams 11th run of the game across the plate.

Later in the inning Jordan Ereth stroked a bases loaded double into left field for three more runs to put Northwest up 14-0 going into the fifth inning.

Jenna Creger was in the circle for the Bearcats and continued her strong senior campaign. Creger got the complete game shutout for her sixth win of the year and carries a microscopic 0.61 ERA this season. The senior struck out 11 and gave up three hits and one unearned run and did not allow a free pass.

Abbie Vitosh got the ball for Northwest in game two. Vitosh gave up three runs early but shut SBU down the rest of the way for the win, which makes her 4-2 on the season. Vitosh struck out seven allowing three hits and three earned runs on her way to the complete game victory.

The score was 3-0 SBU going into the bottom of the third inning when the green and white Bearcats picked it up offensively. Sherer led off the inning with a single to left follow my Schmitz who had a bunt single.

After Ereth reach on a fielder's choice Candace Miller was thrown out on a fielder's choice that scored Sherer. Hendricks stepped up and doubled down the left field line scoring two runs that tied the game up 3-3. Hendricks later scored on an RBI single by Kristine Labertew to put Northwest up 4-3.

One inning later Hailee Hendricks struck again as she doubled to left center scoring Ereth to go up by two runs.

The Bearcats ran across two more runs in the sixth inning when Miller drove a triple to the right field fence scoring Ereth. Hendricks picked up her fourth RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly to left field to plate Miller.

Vitosh fielded a soft ground ball and threw out the SBU hitter at first for the final out of the game and secured Northwest's 12th win of the season.