PITTSBURG, Kan. – The Pittsburg State University Gorillas used an 11-run third inning en route to a 21-11, seven-inning victory over the Northwest Missouri State baseball team in game two of a weekend series at Wendell Simmons Field.
 
Northwest fell to 5-13 overall and 1-7 in MIAA play, while Pitt State moved to 12-7 overall and 7-1 in league play.

Northwest's Ryan Koski hit for the cycle in Sunday's matchup.
 
Brett Holden put the 'Cats on the board with a solo home run to left field with one out in the top of the first.
 
Pittsburg State answered in the bottom half of the first with a two-run homer.
 
The Bearcat offense got active in the third and put up a five-spot with no outs to take a 6-2 lead. Alex Bowers drew a lead-off walk. Holden followed with a single. Drew Mackie drove in Bowers with a double to right center that leveled the score at 2-2. Donovan Warren worked a walk to load the bases for Ryan Koski. Koski delivered a grand slam to right field to stake Northwest to a 6-2 lead.
 
The Gorillas sent 16 batters to the plate and scored 11 runs as they chased Bearcat starter Zach Wiese (0-3) from the contest. The first seven Pitt State batters reached base, five of which belonged to Wiese. Alexander Lovin was called on in relief and faced 11 batters in the third but allowed five hits, three walks and was charged with six runs. Jake Mitchell was summoned to get the final out of the third with the bases loaded and he struck out PSU's Austin Bonnel to end the inning.
 
Northwest scratched across a pair of runs in the top of the fourth. Caden Diel worked a leadoff walk. Alex Bowers reached on a fielder's choice as Diel was forced out at second. After a popup to shortstop by Holden, Mackie delivered an RBI triple to left center that scored Bowers. Mackie then scored on a wild pitch to draw Northwest to within 13-8.
 
PSU padded its lead to 18-8 with a five-run fifth. Northwest's Mitchell was tagged for four of the runs. Tanner Smith relieved Mitchell in the fifth and surrendered the fifth run of the inning.
 
Mackie connected on a one-out solo home run in the top of the sixth. Warren singled up the middle and scored on a Koski RBI double to left center. Jacob Pinkerton and Ryan Williams drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. Cole Slibowski knocked in a run on a fielder's choice to cut the PSU lead to 18-11.
 
The Gorillas closed out the contest in the seventh with a pair of home runs that invoked the 10-run rule and gave PSU the 21-11 victory.
 
The squads will wrap up the three-game series Monday with a 1 p.m. start scheduled.

NOTES: The top five batters in the Northwest lineup all scored at least two runs ... Drew Mackie went 4-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBI ... Ryan Koski went 3-for-5 with five RBI.