MARYVILLE, Mo. - The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team completed a three-game sweep of the Fort Hays State University Tigers with a 14-0 victory Monday at Bearcat Field.

Northwest pulled into a three-way tie for eighth place in the MIAA standings with three games remaining on the league schedule. Northwest is tied with Newman and Emporia State for the final spot in the MIAA Tournament.

Northwest (18-25 overall, 12-18 MIAA) rode a three-hit shutout from starter Alex Slocum in the win. Fort Hays State drops to 4-38 overall and 3-27 in league games.

Slocum earned his third win of the season and his first complete game. Slocum worked all seven innings and tied a season-high with eight strikeouts. Slocum retired the first nine hitters he faced. Slocum hit the leadoff batter in the fourth to end his bid for a perfect game. Two batters later, he allowed his first hit. Slocum got the final two outs of the fourth and stranded both runners. Slocum would also singles in the sixth and the seventh to wrap up his three-hit gem.

The Bearcat offense tied a season-high with 14 runs.

Northwest started the scoring in an unusual fashion with a two-RBI sacrifice fly from Ryan Koski in the bottom of the first. With the bases loaded and one out, Koski lifted a fly ball to deep right-center that was tracked down by FHSU's Jaxson Webb. However, Webb laid out for the catch allowing each Bearcat runner to advance two bases.

The Bearcats added a four-spot in the second inning. Jacob Pinkerton drove in Ryan Williams with a single. Drew Mackie ripped a two-run double to plate Jake Emhardt and Brett Holden. Donovan Warren brought home Mackie with a single to right.

Emhardt pushed the lead to 8-0 with a two-out, two-run shot to right-center in the bottom of the third. 

Northwest batted around with a six-run, sixth inning to take a commanding 14-0 lead. The first seven Bearcat batters reached base. Warren drove home the first two runs of the inning with a single. Caden Diel delivered the inning's biggest blow with a three-run triple. Emhardt knocked in Diel with a ground ball to second base to cap the scoring.

The Bearcats will close out the MIAA regular season with a three-game series at Rogers State beginning Friday in Claremore, Okla.

NOTES: Jacob Pinkerton had a four-hit day with two doubles and two singles ... Pinkerton has 12 multi-hit contests this season ... Ryan Williams went 3-for-3 with two runs scored ... it was Williams's sixth multi-hit game and third game of three or more hits ... Jake Emhardt hit his second home run of the season and went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBI ... it was Emhardt's second two-hit game of the season ... Donovan Warren drove in three runs and notched his 16th multi-hit game ... Brett Holden scored three runs ... he drew three walks to extend his consecutive games reached base streak to 18 straight ... Caden Diel and Emhardt extended their hitting streaks to six in a row.