PITTSBURG, Kan. – The Pittsburg State Gorillas closed out a three-game sweep of the Northwest Missouri State University baseball team with a come-from-behind 9-8 decision on Monday.
 
Northwest (5-14 overall, 1-8 MIAA) held an 8-4 lead before Pitt State (13-7 overall, 8-1 MIAA) rallied with five runs to overtake the Bearcats.
 
Northwest gained the upper-hand in the top of the first on an RBI single from Donovan Warren that scored Cole Slibowski. Slibowski led off the game with a single and moved up to second on a fly out by Drew Mackie.
 
PSU promptly got that run right back in the bottom of first by taking advantage of a leadoff walk.
 
The Bearcats went up 2-1 in the top of the second on a sacrifice fly from Alex Bowers. Bowers drove in Jacob Pinkerton, who led off the inning with a single to center.
 
The Gorillas knotted the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly.
 
Northwest took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth when Drew Mackie homered to right with two outs in the inning.
 
As this seesaw affair continued, PSU hit a two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth to take a 4-3 lead.
 
Northwest appeared to break the game open with a five-run outburst in the top of the sixth to take a commanding 8-4 lead. The first four batters of the inning reached base. Ethan Judd was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to even the score at 4-4. After a PSU pitching change, Slibowski lifted a sac fly to left that scored Pinkerton to give Northwest a 5-4 lead. Brett Holden singled up the middle to plate Ryan Williams. Mackie followed with a two-RBI double to left center that gave Northwest a four-run advantage.
 
The Gorillas cut the lead in half with a two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth.
 
PSU had its first three batters reach base in the bottom of the seventh including an error that led to a pair of unearned runs and a tie game at 8-8.
 
The Gorillas took the lead on another two-out hit in the eighth – a double to right that left PSU on top, 9-8.
 
Northwest threatened to tie it up in the ninth. Holden reached an error to start the inning. After a pair of strikeouts, Koski and Pinkerton drew walks to load the bases. But Williams grounded out to the pitcher to end the threat and the contest.
 
Jacob Gajic took the loss for the Bearcats as he worked the eighth. Gajic was tagged with two hits and a run to go along with a strikeout. Alex Slocum drew the start and worked six innings. Slocum allowed 11 hits and eight runs (six earned). He struck out five and walked two.
 
Drew Mackie went 2-for-5 with a run scored and three RBI. Jacob Pinkerton went 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
 
Northwest will play at Washburn tomorrow in a single game at 4 p.m. in Topeka, Kan.