Alva, Okla. – The Northwest Missouri State baseball team opened a four-game series with a 11-4 loss to Northwestern Oklahoma State on Thursday afternoon.
 
The Rowdy Rangers jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning after tagging Bearcat starter Max Spitzmiller with six earned runs in the frame.
 
The Rowdy Rangers tacked four more on in the bottom half of the fifth to take a 10-0 lead.
 
Northwest loaded the bases with no one out after Alex Bowers led off the inning with his second single of the day in the top of the seventh and got on the board with an RBI ground out from Noah Bodenhausen to make the score 10-1. Ryan Koski then ended the Bearcats hitless streak with the bases loaded with a single to center scoring Evan Tocmo, Max Pawela was thrown out at the plate to keep the score 10-2 in favor of the Rowdy Rangers.
 
Northwest struck again in the eighth with two more runs, Evan Tocmo reached on an RBI fielder choice scoring Heck. Brady Miles then laced an RBI single to center field to get the 'Cats within six.
 
Northwestern Oklahoma tacked on another run in the bottom of the eighth with a two-out double off reliever Trevor Russell.
 
Alex Bowers and DJ Heck each tallied two hits. This is the third multi-hit game for Heck on the season.
 
Northwest and Northwestern Oklahoma State will meet again tomorrow with a 2 p.m. first pitch.