Story Headlines- The Northwest Missouri State baseball team came up short in both games of Saturday's doubleheader with Nebraska Kearney.
- The Lopers took game one, 5-3, before using four long balls to clinch game two, 11-4.
- The Bearcats now stand at 7-11 on the year and 5-6 in conference play, while the Lopers improved their record to 14-8 and 8-3 in the MIAA.
- 391 fans were in attendance.
Game One Key Statistics (Northwest 3, Nebraska Kearney 5)
-
Joseph Hietpas started the game for Northwest, giving up one earned run on seven hits across five innings of work. The freshman struck out five Lopers and walked four.
- Out of the nine hole, second baseman
Paul Johnson reached base on a pair of singles.
- Catcher
Derek Meyer reached base in both of his at bats and drove in one run.
- Designated hitter
Luke Wilkinson knocked in a run on a double in his first plate appearance.
- Wilkinson came in to pitch the final two innings, giving up just one base runner.
- After getting beaned twice, sophomore
Austin Wulff stole his second base of the year.
- The Bearcats left nine runners on base, while the Lopers stranded six.
Game One Key Innings-
Garrett Fort led off the bottom of the second by drawing a walk and came in to score one
Luke Wilkinson's double to deep left center.
Derek Meyer drove a single back up the middle, knocking in Wilkinson.
- Trailing 5-2 in the bottom of the fifth, Meyer started a rally by drawing a two-out walk.
Paul Johnson and
Nick Gotta clubbed back-to-back singles, with Gotta driving in pinch runner
Blake Hardegree.
Austin Wulff reached on a hit by pitch, but the rally was stopped short and the Bearcats left the bases loaded.
Â
Game Two Key Statistics (Northwest 4, Nebraska Kearney 11)
- The Lopers used two three-run home runs and two solo shots to put away the Bearcats.
- UNK scored their 11 runs on 12 hits and committed two errors, while the Bearcats collected six hits and made two errors of their own.
-
Brad Roberts made the start for Northwest, lasting 4 2/3 innings while giving up seven runs on six hits. The freshman walked two and struck out three UNK batters.
- Shortstop
Nick Gotta drove in two RBI on two base knocks.
- Freshman
Nick Howard finished 1-for-2 with a double and one run.
- Designated hitter
James Holler came away with one run and one RBI.
- Senior
Blake Hardegree pinch-hit in the seventh, driving a single to center and later coming around to score.
Game Two Key Innings- After Kearney took the lead on a three-run home run in the top of the second,
Steven Garber led off the bottom of the inning by drawing a walk. Two batters later,
Garrett Fort put runners on the corners with his single to center. Next,
James Holler reached on an error by the shortstop to drive in a run.
- The Lopers plated five runs in the fifth, one in the sixth, and two more in the seventh to take an 11-1 lead into the last half inning. After pinch hitter
Aaron Barratt reached on an error, Holler and
Blake Hardegree rattled off consecutive singles to load the bases.
Kevin Handzlik drove in a run on a groundout and
Nick Gotta knocked in two more on a single down the line.
Up Next- The series finale between Northwest and Nebraska Kearney is scheduled for Sunday at noon. The Bearcats will meet up with Quincy in a mid-week affair on Tuesday at 2 p.m.
Â
