ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team picked up a 7-3 victory over the Ouachita Baptist Tigers Friday afternoon.
 
Northwest (2-2 overall) has scored both of its wins this season over Ouachita Baptist after posting a 1-0 win last Friday over the Tigers.
 
Northwest put a pair of runs on the board in the top of the first. Brett Holden singled through the right side and Donovan Warren followed with a walk. Ryan Koski delivered an RBI single up the middle to plate Holden. Warren would also score on the play as Ouachita Baptist center fielder Tallon Heine committed a throwing error.
 
Ouachita Baptist drew even in the third on a two-run homer from G. Allen off Bearcat starter Zach Wiese. It would be the only runs allowed by Wiese in five-plus innings of work.
 
Northwest took advantage of another Ouachita Baptist error in the seventh that eventually led to a pair of Bearcat runs. Jacob Pinkerton led off the seventh with a single to left field. Cole Slibowski attempted to sacrifice Pinkerton to second, but Slibowski reached on a throwing error by third baseman Allen. Holden came through with an RBI single up the middle to score Pinkerton and give Northwest a 3-2 lead. OBU pitcher Cooper Timmons uncorked a wild pitch to allow Slibowski to score and push the margin to 4-2.
 
The Bearcats blew it open in the top of the ninth.
 
Holden led off with a double down the left field line. Warren reached on an infield single to third and Holden moved up to third on the play. Koski delivered an RBI groundout to shortstop as Warren advanced to second. After an OBU pitching change that brought in Luke House, Layne Shiers came through with a pinch-hit single to left center that put runners on the corners with one out. Shiers took second on a wild pitch. Ryan Williams punched a two-RBI double to right that gave Northwest a comfortable 7-2 lead. Caden Opfer was inserted as a pinch runner for Williams. Jordan Peck worked a walk before DeAunte Parker flew out to left. Pinkerton flew out to center to end the top of the ninth with the Bearcats holding a 7-2 lead.
 
Head coach Darin Loe called on Alex Slocum to pitch the ninth with a five-run cushion. Slocum allowed a leadoff single and a one-out RBI double before closing out the Tigers, 7-3.
 
Jake Mitchell got the win in relief as he pitched a scoreless sixth inning and kept the contest knotted as 2-2. Mitchell struck out one and walked one, then watched as the Bearcat offense posted two runs in the seventh to get the victory.

Alexander Lovin pitched two strong innings of relief in the seventh and eighth innings. Lovin allowed one hit and struck out three.

Wiese pitched into the sixth inning and allowed six hits. Wiese was tagged for two earned runs. Wiese struck out seven and walked two.

Northwest will be back in action tonight at 6 p.m. as they head across the road in Arkadelphia to take on Henderson State.

NOTES: Holden produced a three-hit game and scored two runs. It is the third three-hit game of Holden's Bearcat career ... he had four-hit and three-hit games last season ... Warren has reached base in all four games this season as he tallied his second straight multi-hit game. Through four games, Warren has a 1.275 OPS with seven hits, two doubles and five walks ... head coach Darin Loe recorded his 697th career collegiate coaching victory. Read Full Article