Story Headlines- The Northwest Missouri State softball team swept William Jewell Tuesday afternoon in Maryville, winning both contests in the final at bat of the game.
- It took eight innings for anyone to cross the plate in game one, with
Rebecca Maher ending the 1-0 contest with a walk-off single.
-
Alexis Kelsey drove in two with her walk-off single in game two, propelling the Bearcats to a thrilling 6-5 victory.
- Coach
Ryan Anderson's squad improved its record to 15-3 this season, while the Cardinals fall to 6-8 overall.
- Maher drove in four runs and scored two more on the day.
Â
Game One Key Statistics (Northwest won, 1-0, eight innings)- Northwest outhit the Cardinals, 9-5. Both squads recorded one error.
-
Kendle Schieber (7-2) held the Cardinals scoreless through eight frames, tossing a five-hit shutout. The senior recorded a career-best 12 strikeouts, walking none. Schieber retired the side in order three times and struck out multiple batters in five innings.
- Eight different Bearcats recorded base hits in the contest.
-
Rebecca Maher drove in the lone Bearcat run, finishing 1-for-4.
- Catcher
Jessica Rawie singled twice, going 2-for-3 at the plate.
- Freshman
Jaedra Moses reached on a bunt single and scored the game-winning run.
-
Kiana Baderdeen turned in a 1-for-3 effort at the dish.
Game One Key Innings- The Bearcats loaded the bases in both the third and fourth innings, but Cardinals pitcher Shelby McGraw left the runners stranded each time.
- Northwest finally crossed the plate in the bottom of the eighth when
Alexis Kelsey bunted over the Moses, the ITB runner. In the next at bat, Maher swung at the first pitch she saw, singling back up the middle to end the game in walk-off fashion.
Â
Game Two Key Statistics (Northwest won, 6-5)-
Rachel Smith (5-0) came out the pen to throw 3.1 innings of scoreless ball, striking out five of the 11 batters she faced. The freshman surrendered just one hit.
- Sophomore
Rebecca Maher clubbed three doubles, tying the school record. The second baseman scored two runs and drove in three more.
- First baseman
Alexis Kelsey drove in two runs, finishing 2-for-4 at the plate.
-
Torri Blythe finished 1-for-3 while scoring a pair of runs.
- Junior
Chantel Adams tallied her team-leading fourth double of the season, finishing 1-for-3.
-
Jessica Rawie drove in a run with a single in the fifth.
- Freshman
Kiana Baderdeen scored a run after drawing a walk in her second at bat.
-
Jaedra Moses scored the game-tying run in the seventh, finishing 1-for-3.
Game Two Key Innings- After William Jewell got on the board with a run in the second inning, Northwest leveled the score with a tally of its own when Blythe drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the third. The junior advanced to second on Moses' sacrifice bunt before coming around to score when Maher doubled off the wall in right center.
- Trailing 5-1, the Bearcats scraped three runs together in the fifth to narrow the margin to one. Baderdeen drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second when Blythe dropped in a single to left. Both came in to score on Maher's double into the gap in left center. Rawie singled in Maher three batters later when she deposited a 1-0 pitch inside the left field line.
- After Smith retired 10 of the final 11 batters in the game, Moses reached on an error by the pitcher to open the floodgates in the bottom of the seventh. The freshman advanced to third when Maher sent a double down the left field line, setting the stage for Kelsey. The freshman sent the first pitch of the at bat back up the middle, scoring both Moses and Maher to round out the dramatic victory.
Â
Up Next- The Bearcats will return to conference competition when they head to Bolivar, Mo. for a doubleheader with Southwest Baptist Friday, March 11. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
Â
