PITTSBURG, Kansas – The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team secured its first win of the season Tuesday with a 13-4 triumph over Minot State.
 
Northwest starter Spencer Hanson struck out nine of the first 11 batters he faced. Hanson did not allow a base runner until a pair of walks into the fourth. Hanson worked five innings, struck out 10 and allowed only one hit and one run in picking up the victory on the mound.
 
The Bearcat offense broke through in the top of the third. Northwest loaded the bases with one out via a hit by pitch, an error and a bunt single. Ryan Koski came through with a two-run single up the middle to give Northwest an early 2-0 advantage.
 
Northwest tacked on two more runs in the top of the fourth. Drew Mackie scored on a wild pitch to give Northwest a 3-0 cushion. Matt Gastner laced an RBI double that plated Connor Quick to push the Northwest lead to 4-0.
 
The Bearcats put up a three-spot in the top of the fifth to take a commanding 7-0 lead. Mackie ripped a two-run double and then scored himself on a Brett Holden single up the middle.
 
Minot State secured its first hit in the fifth. The Beavers were able to push across a run on a bases loaded walk to cut the Northwest lead to 7-1.
 
Northwest took the lead to double-digits in the seventh as the Bearcats scored four runs on four hits. Jordan Peck tallied an RBI double down the right field line to plate Peter Carlson. Jacob Pinkerton singled to right to plate Peck to make it 9-1. Mackie for the second time in the game on a wild pitch, before Quick singled to score Pinkerton and give Northwest an 11-1 advantage.
 
The Bearcats continued to add to their lead in the top of the eighth with two more runs. Mackie doubled in Carlson and Brett Holden singled to score Peck to raise the lead to 13-1.
 
Minot State's Blake Gallagher hit a two-run homer in the bottom half of the eighth to cut the Northwest lead to 13-3.
 
The Beavers posted a two-out RBI double in the ninth to close out the scoring.
 
NOTES: Northwest pounded out 15 hits and limited Minot State to five … Connor Quick posted a three-hit game … Drew Mackie drove in a team-best three runs … Mackie and Jordan Peck each scored three times in the victory over Minot State … six Bearcats had multi-hit performances in the win … Northwest had six extra-base hits (all doubles) … Hanson was one strikeout shy of his career-high 11 strikeout performance last season vs. Oklahoma Baptist.