JOPLIN, Mo. – The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team let a six-run lead slip away and dropped a 9-7 decision in 11 innings to the University of Illinois-Springfield Shooting
Stars at the MIAA/GLVC Crossover.
 
The Bearcats built a 7-1 lead through two innings of play, but could not slow down the Shooting Stars and dropped to 4-5 on the season.
 
In the bottom of the first, Brett Holden singled to the pitcher with one out. Donovan Warren singled to right to move Holden over to second. Tyler Peters delivered a two-out, two-run double to left center to put the Bearcats on top, 2-0.
 
UIS took advantage of a hit batsman and a wild pitch to cut the lead in half to 2-1 in the top of the second.
 
Northwest wasted little time in putting up a crooked number in the bottom half of the second. Ethan Judd led off with a triple to left center. Jacob Selock drew a walk to put runners on the corners with nobody out. Jacob Pinkerton lifted a sacrifice fly to center that scored Judd. After a UIS pitching change, Holden greeted the new hurler with a ground-rule double to put two runners in scoring position. Warren reached on an infield single to shortstop that allowed Selock to score that put Northwest up 4-1. Ryan Koski drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases. Drew Mackie served up a two-out, three-run double down the left field line to give Northwest a 7-1 advantage.
 
UIS scored single runs in the third and the fifth before erupting for a four-run seventh to knot the game at 7-7.
 
Bearcat starter Zach Wiese worked 6 1/3 innings. He allowed four hits and four runs (three earned). Wiese struck out seven and walked two.
 
Joshua Mitchell faced three batters in the seventh and allowed three runs on three hits before exiting. Alexander Lovin could not extinguish the rally as he gave up two hits and a walk, but was able to get an out on a runner caught stealing second.
 
Bearcat skipper Darin Loe turned to Jacob Gajic to get the final out of the seventh. Gajic allowed a leadoff double in the eighth, but worked out of a one-out, runner at third situation with a foul out to first and a strikeout. Gajic struck out the only batter he faced in the ninth before giving way to Bearcat closer Alex Slocum.
 
Slocum allowed two hits in the ninth, but induced an inning-ending double play to Holden at third to leave the matchup tied at 7-7. Slocum also worked a perfect 10th inning that included a strikeout.
 
Northwest had a shot to win it in the bottom of the 10th when Caden Diel ripped a one-out double down the left field line. However, Diel was caught stealing third to end the scoring threat.
 
The Shooting Stars broke through in the top of the 11th against Slocum. After a leadoff double and an intentional walk, Slocum fired back-to-back strikeouts. However, UIS's Bobby Bernard tripled in two runs to give UIS an 11-9 lead.
 
Caden Ofper reached on a two-out error in the 11th, but Koski grounded out to third to end it.
 
Northwest will be in action Monday vs. Quincy at 10 a.m.
 
NOTES: Donovan Warren recorded his first collegiate four-hit game as he went 4-for-5 at the plate … Warren has collected a team-leading four multi-hit contests this season Warren is the only Bearcat to have reached base in all nine games … Tyler Peters extended his hitting streak to seven games.