BOX SCORE (PDF)

ST. JOSEPH, Missouri – The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team came up on the short end of a roller-coaster affair Saturday against the Missouri Western State Griffons, 13-10.
 
Northwest (17-18, 13-10 MIAA) had a 6-1 lead but fell behind 9-6. The Bearcats responded and retook the lead at 10-9 only to see the Griffons (16-15 overall, 13-10 MIAA) rally again for a three-run triumph.
 
Northwest took a 2-0 lead in the first. Calvin Rudolph and Connor Quick drew walks to put runners on first and second. Alixon Herrera ripped an RBI single to left-center to put Northwest up 1-0. Jay Hrdlicka worked a two-out walk to load the bases. With nowhere to put him, Missouri Western starting pitcher Jacob Purl walked Peter Carlson to force Quick home and give the Bearcats a 2-0 advantage.
 
The Griffons sliced the lead to 2-1 when leadoff batter Casey Danley homered to center field in the home half of the first.
 
Carlson did even more damage in the third when he blasted a three-run home run to left field. Herrera reached on an error and Hrdlicka drew a two-out walk to set the table for Carlson. It was Carlson's third home run as a Bearcat and gave the visitors a 5-1 advantage.
 
Northwest extended its lead to 6-1 in the fourth with a two-out rally. Rudolph singled and stole second before Quick singled him home for a five-run Bearcat lead.
 
But the Griffons had other plans in the bottom half of the fourth. The first five Griffons reached before the Bearcats could record an out. When the dust settled in the fourth, Missouri Western had plated eight runs and held a 9-6 lead.
 
Northwest clawed a run closer in the fifth. Hrdlicka singled and Carlson reached on an error to put the first two batters on base to start the fifth. Enrique Gonzalez attempted to bunt both runners over but Hrdlicka was forced at third for the first out in the inning. Following a pitching change, Derek Hussey walked to load the bases. Logan Rycraft delivered a sacrifice fly to left field to plate Carlson and pull Northwest to within 9-7.
 
Quick trimmed the lead to a single run at 9-8 with a solo home run down the left field line to lead off the sixth. Quick homered on an 0-2 count and it was his third dinger on the season.
 
Carlson led off the seventh with a walk after he worked the count full. Gonzalez came through with a two-run homer to right-center to lift the Bearcats back on top, 10-9.
 
Aaron Easley came on in relief with one out in the seventh for Alex Slocum who had worked 3 1/3 innings and struck out five. Missouri Western's Fahd Shakeel greeted Easley with an RBI triple and scored on the play via a throwing error by Hussey to give the Griffons an 11-10 lead. Missouri Western added two more RBI singles in the seventh to take a 13-10 lead.
 
Northwest's final eight batters were retired in order and Missouri Western claimed the victory, 13-10.
 
Northwest and Missouri Western will wrap up the three-game set with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
NOTES: Carlson went 1-for-3 with three runs scored and four RBI … Quick went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI … Northwest drew nine walks in the game, while the Bearcat pitching staff issued only two walks to the Griffons … Northwest committed three errors.