HAYS, Kan. – Northwest Missouri State University sophomore Max Pawela powered the Bearcat baseball team to a 14-9 road win over the Fort Hays State University Tigers at Larks Park.
 
Pawela came into Sunday's contest against Fort Hays State with five hits (all singles) in 21 at-bats. Pawela made the most of his sixth career start and launched three home runs. Pawela went 3-for-5 and drove in four runs as the Bearcats salvaged the third game of the series with the Tigers.
 
Northwest moves to 11-32 overall and 9-21 in MIAA play. FHSU falls to 20-27 overall and 10-20 in league action.
 
Freshman Brady Miles homered for the second time in as many games with a solo bomb to left field to give Northwest a 1-0 lead in the top of the second.
 
The Tigers put up two runs in the second on two hits, while taking advantage of a Bearcat throwing error to account for an unearned run.
 
Northwest took advantage of four walks in the third inning to draw even at 2-2. Northwest drew walks from Alex Bowers, Ryan Koski, Miles and Layne Shiers to plate a run. Northwest left the bases loaded after failing to record a hit in the third.
 
FHSU used a pair of long balls to take a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the third. The Tigers hit a solo homer and a two-run blast off Bearcat starting pitcher Zach Wiese. Bearcat reliever Alexander Lovin came on in relief with one out and faced one batter but got a double play to end the third.
 
Northwest tallied a five-run fourth to take its first lead of the day. The Bearcats ripped a pair of homers in the fourth in taking a 7-5 lead over the Tigers. Pawela led off the fourth with his first career home run. Cole Slibowski singled and Bowers drew a one-out walk to chase FSHU starting pitcher Cade Flaherty from the contest. Koski greeted reliever Spencer Maley with an RBI single to left center that plated Slibowski. Trey Morris reached double-figures in homers with his 10th blast of the season, a three-run shot to left field that put the Bearcats on top, 7-5. Miles earned a walk after Morris's homer to force Maley from the game. FHSU turned to Andrew Hansen to slow down the Bearcat offense. Hansen retired two of the next three batters to end the top of the fourth.
 
FHSU put together three straight singles with one out in the fifth to trim Northwest's lead to 7-6. Lovin coaxed a line-drive double play to Morris at first to end the FHSU rally.
 
Bearcat manager Darin Loe turned the ball over to Jaxson Meyer in the bottom of the sixth. Meyer worked a clean sixth inning that included a strikeout to end it.
 
In the seventh, Northwest scored four runs on three hits and took advantage of three FHSU errors. Pawela hammered his second round-tripper of the game with a two-run shot to begin the scoring assault in the seventh. Ryan Williams had reached on a throwing error by FHSU third baseman Trey DeGarmo. Pawela launched a 2-2 pitch over the right field wall to give Northwest a 9-6 cushion. Noah Bodenhausen, who came into the game as a defensive replacement at second base in the fifth, singled to left and moved up to third on a fielding error by FHSU's Zane Knox. FHSU turned to reliever Nate Pitts after Bodenhausen's hit. Bowers was credited with an RBI when he reached on a fielder's choice that allowed Bodenhausen to score to up the Bearcat lead to 10-6 with one out. FHSU made its fourth pitching change of the day and turned it over to Emile Boies. Morris greeted the new arm with his third hit of the day. The inning was prolonged when Miles reached on a fielding error by FHSU shortstop Colter Maldonado. Bowers scored on the error as Northwest increased its advantage to 11-6.
 
Meyer surrendered a leadoff homer in the seventh to Ed Scott. After obtaining a fly out, Meyer gave up back-to-back doubles that sliced the Bearcat lead to 11-8. Loe turned to the bullpen again and brought on Jacob Gajic with a runner on second and one out in the seventh. Gajic fell behind 3-1 on his first batter, but battled back for a strikeout. However, Knox's two-out single scored Elliott Hermann to cut the lead to two at 11-9. Gajic got Tico Olivas to lineout to end the seventh and leave Knox stranded.
 
Pawela hammered his third home run of the game with one out in the eighth to push the Northwest lead to 12-9. After Pawela's blast, Bodenhausen and Slibowski each reached base on a pair of errors by FHSU shortstops. Bowers hit into a fielder's choice to put Slibowski on third. Koski came through with a two-out, two-run double to left center that pushed the Bearcat lead to five at 14-9.
 
Pawela had a shot at a four-homer game, but popped up to third base for the final out in the top of the ninth.
 
Gajic closed the door in the ninth after allowing a leadoff ground-rule double and a two-out walk. Gajic worked the final 2 2/3 innings for his third save of the season. Gajic allowed two hits and no runs while striking out one FHSU batter.
 
Wiese drew the start on the mound, faced 15 batters and threw 51 pitches before departing the contest. Wiese worked 2 1/3 innings as he allowed six hits and five runs (four earned). He struck out one and walked one FHSU hitter.
 
Lovin worked 2 2/3 in relief and was credited with the win to move to 1-1 on the year. He faced nine batters and allowed three hits for one run. Lovin struck out a batter and walked one.
 
Meyer faced seven batters in 1 1/3 innings pitched. Meyer gave up three hits and three runs (all earned). He struck out one and did not walk a batter.
 
Pawela and Morris each recorded three-hit days at the plate. Morris went 3-for-6 with three RBI. Koski went 2-for-4 with three RBI. Bowers scored a team-high four runs. Miles hit a homer and drew three walks.
 
The Bearcats will wrap up the regular season this week with scheduled games against William Jewell at home Tuesday and home for a weekend series with Rogers State. The Bearcats have not been eliminated from the MIAA Tournament and could still qualify for the No. 8 spot with three wins over Rogers State and a little bit of help from the rest of the league's results.
 
NOTES: Pawela became the first Bearcat to have a three-homer game since Jay Hrdlicka hit three against Pittsburg State on April 2, 2017 … Slibowski extended his streak of reaching base to 33 consecutive games … Pawela is the fourth MIAA player this season to record three home runs in a single game (PSU's Trey McClelland vs. Missouri Southern; MSSU's Treghan Parker vs. Fort Hays State; ESU's Mason Sturdy vs. Oklahoma Baptist) … Pawela is the third to do it against MIAA competition this year … Koski moved to No. 7 on Northwest's all-time RBI list with 120 … Koski surpassed the total of 119 by Kyle Gallagher (2003-2005) with his three RBi on Sunday ... Koski drew two walks to up his career base-on-balls total to 94, which ranks No. 2 in school history ... Koski only trails Jay Hrdlicka, who posted 100 career walks from 2016-2019 ... FHSU out-hit Northwest, 14-12 … Northwest pitchers walked four batters, while FHSU pitchers walked nine Bearcat hitters … Northwest hit 11 home runs in the series – its most in a three-game series this year … its previous high came with five homers against both Missouri Southern and Newman … the Bearcats connected on a season-high five home runs against FHSU on Sunday.