EDMOND, Oklahoma - The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team had to settle for a split of a doubleheader Saturday at the University of Central Oklahoma.
The Bearcats topped the Bronchos in game one, 12-8. However UCO rallied for an 11-9 win in game two.
Northwest is 12-13 overall and 10-10 in MIAA play.
GAME ONE
Northwest overcame an early 4-0 deficit to post a 12-8 victory.
The Bronchos scored the first four runs of the game in the second and the final three runs of the contest - only to see the Bearcats outscore them 12-1 between the fourth and eighth innings.
Peter Carlson homered for the fifth time this season with a three-run blast in the fourth to pull Northwest to within 4-3. UCO would score on a wild pitch in the fourth to take a 5-3 lead.
Connor Quick evened the game at 5-5 with a two-run homer to right center in the fifth. Quick's homer opened the floodgates to a seven-run fifth for the Bearcats.
Caden Diel delivered a two-run single.
Matt Gastner drilled a three-run homer to center.
Ryan Koski doubled in a run to right center and
Donovan Warren had a base knock to center to score Quick as the Bearcats took a commanding 12-5 lead.
The Bronchos scored three in the eighth off reliever
Blaine Hanf. But
Tanner Smith and
Alex Slocum combined to retire the final six batters to gain the win. Slocum earned his fifth save of the season.
Starter
Spencer Hanson moved to 3-2 with the win. Hanson worked five innings and allowed three hits and five runs (four earned). Hanson walked three, hit a batter and struck out one Broncho.
Quick went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI. Warren went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Carlson and Gastner each knocked in a team-high three runs.
GAME TWO
The Bearcats failed to hold to a six-run lead in the seventh inning and dropped an 11-9 decision to the Bronchos.
Jacob Pinkerton scored in the first on a single to center by
Drew Mackie. UCO answered with three runs in the bottom half of the first to take a 3-1 lead.
Run-scoring singles from
Peter Carlson and
Ethan Judd evened the matchup at 3-3 in the fourth.
Ryan Koski hammered his second home run of the season in the sixth to put Northwest on top, 4-3.
Northwest's offense erupted with a six-run seventh.
Drew Mackie smacked a two-run double to center that scored Pinkerton and Gastner.
Donovan Warren drew a bases loaded walk to put Northwest up three, 7-3. Judd came through with a two-run double to center that scored
Connor Quick and Mackie to give Northwest a 9-3 lead.
Bearcat starter
Zach Wiese worked into the seventh and gave way to
Daniel Smith with two outs in the inning. Smith got the final out of the seventh with Northwest holding a 9-5 lead.
Alex Slocum entered in the bottom of the eighth but allowed four hits, four walks and six runs as the Bronchos took an 11-9 lead.
Tanner Smith relieved Slocum and got the final out of the eighth.
UCO's Beaux Bonvillain allowed a walk but struck out three in the ninth to finish off the Bearcats, 11-9.
Pinkerton went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Mackie went 2-for-5 with two RBI. Koski went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Judd went 2-for-5 with a team-high three RBI.
NOTES: The teams will wrap up the three-game series Sunday with a single game beginning at 1 p.m. ... Koski leads the team with 10 multi-hit games ... Koski is in the midst of a 10-game hitting streak ... Carlson has tallied a team-best six multi-RBI games ... Carlson has reached base in 11 consecutive games.
