EDMOND, Okla. – The University of Central Oklahoma tallied a 6-5, 10-inning win over the Northwest Missouri State University baseball team Sunday at Wendell Simmons Field.
 
The Bearcats rallied from deficits of 3-0 and 5-2 but were unable to grab the lead on Sunday as the Bronchos avoided a three-game sweep by salvaging the final game of the series.
 
UCO moves to 28-13 overall and 16-11 in MIAA play. Northwest drops to 10-29 overall and 8-19 in league action.
 
The UCO win dampened a pair of stellar efforts from Bearcat reliever Alexander Lovin and designated hitter Trey Morris. Lovin worked four perfect innings in relief to get the Bearcats into extra innings and Morris tallied a three-hit day with three RBI and two runs scored.
 
Central Oklahoma designated hitter Aiden Proctor led off the bottom of the first with a homer off Bearcat starter Zach Wiese.
 
UCO tacked on two runs in the third when the Broncos began the inning with a double, single, RBI groundout and run-scoring single for a 3-0 lead.
 
Cole Slibowski recorded Northwest's first hit of the game with a leadoff single in the fourth. However, Slibowski was caught stealing second for the first out of the inning. Alex Bowers coaxed a walk before Ryan Koski flew out for the second out. Trey Morris hammered a two-out, two-run homer to center to get the Bearcats on the board and pull to within 3-2 of the Bronchos.
 
Bearcat skipper Darin Loe lifted Wiese with one out and two runners on in the fourth. Casey Stalzer got the call from the pen and he struck out Proctor before allowing a two-out, run-scoring single to UCO left fielder Kaleb Glass. Stalzer struck out right fielder Noah Olson to end the fourth with UCO on top, 4-2.
 
Wiese's final line on Sunday came out to 3 1/3 innings pitched, five hits, four runs, two walks and two strikeouts.
 
Diel reached on a walk, Ryan Williams singled and Slibowski walked to load the bases in the fifth with two outs but Northwest was unable to score. Bowers grounded out to shortstop for the third out and UCO retained a 4-2 advantage.
 
UCO tallied an unearned run in the fifth to up the margin to 5-2.
 
The Bearcats loaded the bases with two outs for the second consecutive inning but this time Williams came through with a two-out, two-run single. Morris walked with one out. Diel walked and Layne Shiers was hit by a pitch with outs to load the bases. Williams delivered a single through the left side to score Morris and Diel to slice the Broncho lead to 5-4. Bodenhausen worked a walk to reload the bases for the top of the order. Slibowski went to a full count but was called out on strikes on a pitch that missed the plate wide to end the sixth for the 'Cats. Northwest left the bases loaded for the second straight inning after not stranding a runner in the first four innings.
 
Alexander Lovin worked an efficient bottom of the sixth by retiring the Bronchos in order with a strikeout. Lovin took over for Stalzer, who went 1 2/3 on the hill. Stalzer allowed three hits and one run (unearned) to go with two strikeouts and no walks.
 
The Bearcats evened the score at 5-5 on a one-out RBI double from Morris in the seventh. Koski singled to first with one out and Morris followed with a double down the left field line to draw the 'Cats and 'Chos even at 5-5. Max Pawela pinch hit for Griffith and drew a walk to put runners on first and second. Diel grounded into a fielder's choice to leave runners on the corners with two outs. Diel stole second for his second stolen base of the season. Shiers flied out to center to leave the contest tied at 5-5.
 
Northwest looked to push across the go-ahead run in the ninth. Morris tallied his third hit of the game with a single to right with two outs in the ninth. Caden Opfer was sent on to pinch run for Morris. Max Pawela singled to left to advance Opfer to second. However, Diel flew out to left to end the Bearcat scoring threat in the ninth.
 
Bodenhausen singled to shortstop with two outs in the 10th but the Bearcats could not score in the first extra frame.
 
Lovin put on a masterful performance out of the bullpen as he faced 12 batters and retired all 12 Bronchos he faced in the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth innings. Lovin struck out five batters.
 
Jacob Gajic (3-5 overall) was called on in the 10th after Lovin worked the previous four innings. Gajic gave up a leadoff triple to Glass in the 10th and then Olson delivered a single past a drawn-in Bearcat infield to allow the Bronchos to take it the game, 6-5.
 
Northwest will return to action Tuesday at William Jewell. The Bearcats and Cardinals will play a single game beginning at 5 p.m. in Liberty, Mo.
 
NOTES: Trey Morris ranks second on the squad with 17 two-out RBI this season … Morris leads the team with 18 two-out hits … Ryan Williams has posted nine two-out RBIs this season … Williams added his sixth multi-hit game of the season … Cole Slibowski singled to lead off the fourth to extend his consecutive games streak of reaching base to 30 in a row … Bearcat pitchers allowed only two walks in the 10-inning game … UCO out-hit Northwest, 10-9.