Story Headlines- The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team picked up a 12-6 win over Pittsburg State on Friday afternoon at Bearcat Field in Maryville, Mo.
- The Bearcats improved to 15-13 overall and 10-8 in MIAA play with the win. The Gorillas fall to 6-21 on the year and 1-17 in conference action.
- Northwest got season highs at the plate in hits (17), triples (3), homeruns (2) and total bases (31).
- Five players recorded multi-hit games for the Bearcats
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James Holler had a career day, going 3-for-5 with six RBI, two runs scored and a grand slam in the first inning.
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Ozzie Adams was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI. He had two triples on the day.
Key Northwest Statistics- Northwest scored 12 runs on 17 hits with five errors. The Bearcats got five in the first, one in the fourth, two in the fifth, one in the seventh and three in the eighth.
- The Gorillas scored three in the third, two in the fourth and one in the eighth. Pittsburg State scored six runs on 10 hits with no errors.
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Kevin Handzlik was 3-for-4 with two runs scored, and RBI and a walk.
- Catcher
Derek Meyer was 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored.
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Garrett Fort went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI.
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Nick Gotta went 1-for-4 with a run scored and drew his MIAA leading 31st walk of the year.
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Jake Lewis got a pinch hit triple in the eight inning in his only at bat. He had an RBI and also scored a run.
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Aaron Barratt was 1-for-4 on the day.
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Jay Hrdlicka drew a walk and scored a run for Northwest.
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Joseph Hietpas got his fourth win of the year, logging 5.1 innings. He allowed five runs on eight hits. Only three of the runs were earned. He struck out five batters and walked four.
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Austin Battaglia went 2.0 innings in relief, allowing no walks while striking out one. He did allow one run on one hit but it was unearned in the eighth.
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Nikko Pablo got the final two outs of the eighth inning without allowing a base runner. He had one strikeout.
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Carson Smith pitched a scoreless ninth inning. He allowed just one hit while recording the final three outs of the contest.
Key Northwest Innings- With two outs in the first, Adams hit an 0-2 pitch deep to right for his first triple of the season. Handzlik and and Hrdlicka drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. Fort hit a ball deep in the hole between first and second for an infield single to drive in Adams, making it 1-0 Northwest. With the bases loaded, Holler hit a 1-1 pitch over the right field wall for a grand slam, putting the Bearcats up, 5-0.
- Meyer led off the bottom of the fourth with a homerun to deep center field to put Northwest up, 6-5.
- With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Handzlik doubled to deep left center field and went to third on a well placed Fort swinging bunt back to the pitcher. Holler took a 2-1 pitch through the right side, scoring Handzlik. Fort was running on the pitch and scored all the way from first to make it 8-5 Bearcats.
- With one out in the top of the sixth, Pitt State got a single and a double off Hietpas to force a Northwest pitching change. Battaglia came in and got a big strikeout and a foul out to end the threat with no damage done.
- Holler picked up his third hit of the game on a single up the middle with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. He went to second on a wild pitch and scored on a Meyer single to center, making it 9-5 Northwest.
- Gotta led off the eighth with a double to the gap in left center field and went to third on a ground out. With the infield in, Adams got a hard hit ground ball past the shortstop to drive in Gotta. Lewis pinch hit for Hrdlicka and ripped a triple off the wall in deep left center to score Adams. Handzlik took advantage of the infield playing in and looped a single to shallow center field to drive in Lewis, making it 12-6 Bearcats.
Up Next- Game two between the Bearcats and the Gorillas will be on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m.
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