WICHITA, Kansas – The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team rallied for a split of a doubleheader at Newman University Saturday.
 
The Bearcats dropped the first game, 5-4, but came back to post a 9-5 triumph in the second game. Northwest took the three-game series following Friday's 12-2 victory over the Jets.
 
Northwest is 8-11 overall and 7-8 in MIAA play.
 
GAME ONE
Newman used a four-run fifth inning on its way to a 5-4 win over Northwest in the opening game of the twinbill.
 
Bearcat starter Spencer Hanson got touched up for five runs (four earned) in 4 2/3 innings. Hanson allowed five hits and struck out two.
 
Reliever Blaine Hanf worked 2 1/3 innings and did not give up a run in his sixth consecutive appearance in the bullpen. Hanf struck out three and allowed one hit.
 
Jacob Pinkerton went 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI. Ryan Koski went 2-for-3 for his eighth multi-hit game this season. The Bearcats generated seven hits altogether.
 
GAME TWO
Northwest held a 2-1 lead through six innings, but saw Newman rally for a four-run seventh only to set the stage for the Bearcats to score seven in the final two innings for the 9-5 victory.
 
Jacob Pinkerton led the game with a double and moved over to third on a flyout by Brett Holden. Pinkerton scored when Drew Mackie struck out, but reached first base on a wild pitch.
 
Donovan Warren singled to center to lead off the third. Warren then swiped both second and third before Drew Mackie singled him home with one out.
 
Newman cut the Northwest lead to 2-1 on a sacrifice fly in the fifth.
 
The Jets erupted with a four-run seventh to take a 5-2 lead. Bearcat starter Zach Wiese gave up a leadoff single and got two outs before he gave way for Alex Slocum. Unfortunately, Slocum was greeted with four straight hits and allowed the Hillcats to take the lead.
 
The Bearcats clawed back with a run in the eighth. Ryan Koski singled to left and moved up to second when Peter Carlson was hit by a pitch. Ethan Judd delivered an RBI single to left. Judd and Carlson moved up on a wild pitch but Pinkerton and Holden were retired to end the eighth with the Bearcats trailing 5-3.
 
Slocum worked around a two-out walk in the eighth to keep the Bearcats within two.
 
Northwest rallied in the ninth to take the lead behind five walks from Newman's Crae Pfannenstiel. The Bearcats loaded the bases with no one out on a walk to Mackie, a single from Matt Gastner and another walk to Tyler Peters. Carlson lifted a sacrifice fly to center to cut the lead to one. Judd drew a walk to reload the bases. Jordan Peck worked the count and got a walk to tie the game at 5-5. Pinkerton also walked with the bases loaded and the Bearcats had rallied for a 6-5 advantage. Holden capped the six-run rally with a three-RBI double to left that scored Judd, Peck and Pinkerton to put Northwest on top, 9-5.
 
Slocum allowed the first two Newman hitters to reach in the ninth forcing manager Darin Loe to summon Tanner Smith from the bullpen. Smith retired all three batters he faced to earn his first career save.
 
Slocum got the win as he pitched 1 1/3 innings and allowed five hits and three runs (all earned).