Story Headlines- The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team split a Saturday doubleheader with Fort Hays State at Bearcat Field in Maryville, Mo.
- Northwest won the first game 8-3 but dropped the nightcap, 10-5.
- The Bearcats are now 11-12 overall and 8-7 in MIAA play. Fort Hays State is now 4-16 on the year and 4-11 in conference action.
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Paul Johnson was 5-of-8 on the dya with two triples, a double, four runs scored and two RBI.
- Both games were seven-inning contests.
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Game One Key Northwest Statistics (Northwest 8, Fort Hays State 3)
- The Bearcats scored two runs in the first, three in the third and three more in the fourth.
- Northwest had eight runs on eight hits with no errors. Fort Hays scored three runs on seven hits and two errors.
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Paul Johnson was 3-for-4 on the day, collecting an RBI and three runs scored. He hit his first two triples of the season.
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Nick Gotta reached safely three times, drawing a walk while going 2-for-3 from the plate. He scored one run.
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Kolby Greenslade scored a pair of runs for Northwest, going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
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Joseph Hietpas got the win, going 5.1 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with four strikeouts.
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Steven Garber and
Garrett Fort each had base hits. fort had a pair of RBI and drew a walk.
- Garber and
Nick Howard each scored runs for Northwest.
- Northwest ended the Tigers' fifth inning by throwing out Connor Ross who attempted to score from second on a flyout.
Garrett Fort's throw was relayed by
Nick Gotta to
Nick Howard who tagged Ross at the plate for the third out.
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Austin Battaglia went 1.2 hitless innings to close out the game. He had one strikeout and two walks.
- Fort Hays had four wild pitches charged during the game.
Game One Key Northwest Innings- After falling behind 2-0 in the top of the first, Northwest answered immediately with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning.
Nick Gotta led off the inning with a single but was out on a fielders choice on a grounder from
Kolby Greenslade.
Paul Johnson singled to move runners to first and second. With
Steven Garber up, Hays pitcher Tyler Patty threw a wild pitch that advanced runners to second and third. Patty again threw a ball in the dirt that made its way to the backstop, allowing Greenslade to score from third and Johnson to advance to third. Garber and
Nick Howard each drew a walks to load the bases.
Garrett Fort hit a sacrifice fly to right field in the next at bat to score Johnson.
- Johnson led off the third by reaching on an error by the third baseman. Garber moved him over to third with a single through the right side and
Nick Howard drew a walk to load the bases with no outs. Fort hit an infield single the right side to score Johnson. Garber moved to third and scored after a failed attempt to catch Howard between second and third as the shortstop dropped the ball in a attempted tag at second base.
Kevin Handzlik used a sacrifice bunt to move Howard to third and Fort to second.
Derek Meyer came up next, hitting a sacrifice fly to deep right field to score Howard, giving Northwest a 5-2 lead.
- Gotta led off the fourth inning with a walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. Greenslade laced a ball just past fhe third baseman's glove for a double, scoring Gotta. Still with no outs, Johnson ripped a triple to deep right center field, scoring Greenslade to put Northwest up 7-2, forcing Tiger starter Patty from the game. Garber lifted a 3-1 offering to left field to score Johnson from third to make it 8-2 Bearcats.
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Game Two Key Northwest Statistics (Fort Hays State 10, Northwest 5)
- The Tigers scored 10 runs on 14 hits with two errors. Northwest had five runs on nine hits and two errors.
- Fort Hays scored one run in the second, three in the third, one in the fourth and five runs in the sixth.
- Northwest scored three runs in the third, one run in the sixth and one in the seventh.
- Johnson was 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.
- Meyer was 2-for-4 with a run scored.
- Gotta was 2-for-4 with his seventh double of the season. He had two RBI and scored a run.
- Northwest used five pitchers on the day.
Brad Roberts picked up the loss, going 2.2 innings, allowing four runs on six hits. Only three of the runs were earned.
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John Osborne got his first action of the season, working a scoreless seventh inning.
- Wulff hit his fifth double of the year and was 1-for-3 at the plate with a run scored.
Game Two Key Northwest Innings- After falling behind 4-0, Northwest plated three runs in the bottom of the third to pull within one. Meyer led off and singled, moving to third on a Wulff double in the next at bat. Gotta singled up the middle to drive in Wulff and Meyer and moved to second on the throw to the plate.
Kolby Greenslade flew out but an errant throw to the infield resulted in Gotta taking third base after tagging. With just one out, Johnson doubled to left center, driving in Gotta from third.
- In the sixth inning, Johnson hit his third double of the year to lead off and advanced to third on a throwing error by the left fielder. Garber grounded out to second base, scoring Johnson.
- Northwest scored one run in the bottom of the seventh as Zach Douglas pinch hit for
Kevin Handzlik and singled to right. Meyer followed it up with another single to right to advance Douglas. After a pitching change, Gotta grounded into a fielder's choice to put runners on the corners with twou outs. Greenslade came through with a two-out single to center, scoring Douglas.
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Up Next- The Bearcats and the Tigers conclude the four-game series tomorrow afternoon with a nine-inning contest scheduled for noon at Bearcat Field.
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