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Story Headlines
- The Northwest Missouri State softball team scored five runs in the final frame to knock of No. 12-ranked Central Oklahoma in the MIAA opener Friday afternoon in Maryville, 6-4.
- The Bronchos answered back with a five run inning of their own in the nightcap, winning 9-5.
- Northwest is now 11-3 on the year and 1-1 in conference play, while UCO moves to 13-5 overall and 1-1 in the MIAA.
- Chantel Adams hit a walk off home run to cap the victory in game one.
 

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Game One Key Statistics (Northwest won, 6-4)
- The Bearcats plated six runs on seven hits. Central Oklahoma scored four runs on six hits while committing three errors defensively.
- Chantel Adams picked up her lone hit of the game when it mattered most, clubbing her 21st career home run in the final at bat of the contest.
- Abigail Gilson hit her second pinch hit home run of the season to start the seventh inning rally.
- Kendle Schieber (5-2) earned the win, scattering six hits and two walks in the complete game victory. The senior struggled through the first inning but allowed just four Bronchos to reach base after the first five batters.
- Torri Blythe singled twice, scoring one run.
- Catcher Jessica Rawie reached base twice, scoring one run and finishing 1-for-2.
- Sophomore Rebecca Maher clubbed a two-run double in the seventh inning, finishing 1-for-4 with a run scored.

Game One Key Innings
- Central Oklahoma jumped out to an early 4-0 lead when Lexi Watson hit a grand slam with no one out in the top of the first.

- Northwest responded by loading the bases in the second inning after Rawie singled and Madison Jones and Schieber both walked. Jaedra Moses sent a soft grounder back to the pitcher, who misplayed it and allowed Rawie to score unearned.

- After giving up a leadoff single in the third, Schieber mowed down 12 straight hitters.

- With the Bearcats trailing by three, Gilson opened the final frame by willing a 1-2 pitch over the fence in left. After Blythe dropped in a bloop single to left center, the junior reached second on Kiana Baderdeen's routine grounder to short. The Broncho defender tried to retire the lead runner, but couldn't handle the ball out of her glove. Two batters later, Maher tied the score at four when she crushed a line drive double off the top of the fence in right center. Adams recorded the finishing blow when she sent a 1-0 pitch soaring over the fence in right center.
 

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Game Two Key Statistics (Northwest lost, 9-5)
- Northwest outhit the Bronchos, 12-9.
- Chantel Adams turned in a 3-for-3 day, reaching base on three singles and one hit by pitch. The third baseman added a diving catch in foul territory defensively.
- Sarah Baldwin (2-1) picked up the loss after giving up six runs in four innings pitched. The senior struck out three, but walked six and allowed five hits.
- Rachel Smith pitched effectively out of the bullpen, allowing three runs in three innings of work. The freshman retired the final seven batters in the contest, totaling two strikeouts.
- Jaedra Moses singled twice, the first multi-hit game in her young career.
- Shortstop Rebecca Maher reached base three times, scoring two runs and driving in another.
- Alexis Kelsey doubled in her first at bat, finishing 2-for-4 at the plate with a run scored.
- Kiana Baderdeen finished 1-for-4 with one run scored and one RBI.
- Jessica Rawie drove in two runs with a first inning single.

Game Two Key Innings
- After giving up two more first inning runs, the Bearcats clawed right back with three in the bottom half of the inning. Baderdeen singled past a diving third baseman and headed for third when Kelsey doubled into the right field corner. Maher scored Baderdeen with a single up the middle before Adams was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Kelsey and Maher came around to score when Rawie blooped a single into right, with Maher just beating the relay throw home.

- Trailing 4-3, Moses nearly single-handedly manufactured the game-tying run when she led off the fourth by beating out a single to short. The freshman stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch before coming in to score on Baderdeen's groundout.

- The Bearcats added a run in the fifth when Maher drew a walk to lead things off. Singles from Adams and Gilson loaded the bases, prompting head coach Ryan Anderson to pinch hit Madison Jones. The senior drove in Maher with a ground ball to short.
 

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Up Next
- The Bearcats will return to the diamond for another MIAA doubleheader when they face off against Northeastern State Saturday, March 5 beginning at noon.