Story Headlines- The Northwest Missouri State softball team knocked off league-leading Missouri Western in game one before falling short in the nightcap Thursday evening at the Spring Sports Complex in St. Joseph, Mo.
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Alexis Kelsey connected with a pair of home runs in the opener, lifting the Bearcats to a 3-2 victory.
- The No. 15-ranked Griffons rallied from a 3-1 seventh inning deficit to win game two, 4-3, in eight innings.
- The games were played as non-conference affairs and will not count towards the league standings.
- Northwest is now 34-10 overall, while the Griffons move to 35-11 this season.
- The win in game one was Northwest's tenth-straight victory, its first double-digit win streak since 2006 (11 games, 3/29-4/9).
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Game One Key Statistics (Northwest 3, Missouri Western 2)
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Kendle Schieber (19-4) tossed her 16th complete game of the season, striking out four and allowing just five hits.
- Freshman
Alexis Kelsey turned in her second multi-home run game of the season, and the 30th in Northwest history. Kelsey finished 2-for-3, driving in all three Bearcat runs. The first baseman now has 11 home runs this season, tied for fifth all-time.
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Jaedra Moses reached on an infield single in her final at bat, finishing 1-for-4.
- Sophomore
Rebecca Maher drew a walk in the opening frame, scoring on Kelsey's first long ball.
- Catcher
Jessica Rawie walked and singled, finishing 1-for-2.
Game One Key Innings- With two outs in the top of the first, Maher drew a walk to extend the inning. Kelsey unloaded on the second pitch of her at bat, sending it over the fence in right center and giving the Bearcats an early 2-0 advantage.
- Kelsey lifted her second home run of the day down the left field line in the top of the fourth, extending the lead to 3-0.
- Schieber faced four or fewer batters in each of the first six innings, retiring the side in order three times.
- The Griffons made things interesting with a trio of base knocks in the bottom of the seventh, but the rally came up one run short as Schieber forced a pop up to Maher for the final out.
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Game Two Key Statistics (Northwest 3, Missouri Western 4, eight innings)
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Sarah Baldwin worked six plus innings, giving up two earned runs on six hits and striking out four. The senior retired the first 12 hitters in the game, extending her scoreless innings streak to 26 before allowing an unearned run in the fifth.
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Taylor Blackford (0-1) took the loss after helping the Bearcats escape the seventh, giving up a pair of hits in the extra frame.
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Jessica Rawie singled twice, driving in one run and scoring another.
- Freshman
Kiana Baderdeen finished 2-for-3 with an RBI.
- Shortstop
Rebecca Maher scored after singling to lead off the fourth.
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Kendle Schieber drove in a run with a groundout in her second plate appearance.
Game Two Key Innings- The Bearcats broke the scoreless deadlock in the top of the fourth after Maher led off with a single up the middle. Kelsey then reached on an error after a routine grounder to third. The pair advanced one bag on
Chantel Adams' sacrifice bunt, placing runners in scoring position for Rawie. The catcher sent a 1-0 pitch past second base, scoring Maher. Kelsey scored in the next at bat when Schieber grounded out to second, putting Northwest in front, 2-0.
- Northwest added a third run in the sixth with another leadoff single, this time off the bat of Rawie. Rawie scored from second two batters later when Baderdeen dropped an 0-2 pitch into left center field.
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Up Next- The Bearcats will have a week off before wrapping up the regular season next weekend on the road. Northwest will travel to Emporia, Kan. for a pair of contests against Emporia State Friday, April 22, with first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m.
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