Story Headlines- The Northwest Missouri State softball team used a six-run sixth inning to top Wayne State before nearly completing another comeback in a loss to Winona State.
- The games were two of 48 scheduled in the MWSU Apple Market Classic this weekend, held at the Heritage Park Softball Complex in St. Joseph, Mo. 16 teams are participating in the midseason crossover, eight apiece from the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association and the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
- Northwest sent 12 hitters to the plate in the sixth inning against Wayne State, ultimately winning 8-1.
- After
Alexis Kelsey crushed a game-tying home run in the sixth, Winona State plated five in the extra frame en route to a 7-5 victory in the nightcap.
- Northwest moves to 18-6 overall, while the Wildcats fell to 4-11 and the No. 16-ranked Warriors improved to 16-4 this season.
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Game One Key Statistics (Northwest 8, Wayne State 1)-
Kendle Schieber (9-3) turned in her 10th complete game of the year, surrendering seven hits while striking out four and walking none. The senior helped her own cause at the plate, driving in two and scoring one run with a double.
- Sophomore
Rebecca Maher scored two runs after finishing 2-for-4.
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Torri Blythe turned in her team-best ninth multi-hit game of the season, driving in one.
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Alexis Kelsey finished 1-for-2 with a run scored and one RBI. The freshman was hit by a pitch twice in the sixth inning.
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Chantel Adams scored a run and drove in another, finishing 1-for-3.
- Freshman
Jaedra Moses finished 1-for-4 and scored one run.
Game One Key Innings- Facing a 1-0 deficit, Moses singled up the middle with one out in the bottom of the fourth. Maher blooped a single to right before Kelsey doubled to center to score Moses, just out of reach of the Wildcat defender. Adams handed Northwest its first lead of the day when she lifted a sacrifice fly to left center.
- Northwest broke things open in the sixth when they plated six runs. It took just eight pitches for the Bearcats to load the bases, with singles from Maher and Adams bookending a HBP to Kelsey.
Jessica Rawie and
Madison Jones drew back-to-back walks, scoring the first two runs of the inning. Schieber drove in two more when she drilled a 2-2 pitch to right center, legging out her third double of the year.
Kiana Baderdeen reached on a throwing error by the third baseman, driving in Jones. Blythe drove in the final run when she beat out an infield single to short, scoring Schieber.
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Game Two Key Statistics (Winona State 7, Northwest 5, eight innings)-
Sarah Baldwin (4-2) took the loss after allowing 12 hits in 7.2 innings of work. The senior struck out six Warriors, allowing just 2 earned runs.
- Junior
Chantel Adams was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate, extending her team-best hitting streak to 14.
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Jaedra Moses crushed her first career home run in the eighth, finishing 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs.
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Alexis Kelsey hit her eighth home run of the season, tied for third in the MIAA.
- Sophomore
Rebecca Maher scored twice, turning in a 3-for-4 effort at the dish.
Game Two Key Innings- The Bearcats put together a one-out rally in the bottom of the sixth after Maher reached on a bleeder to right. Kelsey then crushed a 2-1 pitch to deep center, leveling the score at 2.
- After the Warriors plated five runs in the extra frame, Northwest jumped right back into contention when Moses led off with a no-doubt home run to left center, scoring
Torri Blythe, the ITB runner. Maher singled in the next at bat when she sent the first baseman to her right with no one covering the bag. The sophomore moved to third two batters later when Adams singled deep in the hole at short. Rawie then soared a sacrifice fly to center, but the rally would be cut short with the tying run at first.
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Up Next- The Bearcats will return to St. Joseph for two more non-conference matchups Saturday. Northwest is set to face off with Concordia-St. Paul at 1 p.m. before a 5 p.m. meeting with Northern State.
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