MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team tallied win number 13 on the year with a 10-6 triumph of visiting Rogers State.
 
Bearcat starter Max Spitzmiller was given the nod and was tagged with two earned runs in the first inning on a couple of doubles and a wild pitch.
 
Rogers state threatened in the top of the second once again but a good relay from left field cut Jorge Martinez down at the plate to keep the damage to 2-0.
 
The Hillcats added another run in the top of the third but left the bases loaded when Spitzmiller forced an infield pop-up to escape the jam.
 
Northwest had an answer in the bottom of the third inning when Ryan Koski lifted his 13^th home run of the year to left field scoring Cole Slibowksi. Brady Miles then followed a Trey Morris single with a two-run bomb of his own to give the Bearcats a 4-3 lead after three full innings of play.
 
The Hillcats regained the lead in the top of the fourth on a lead off double by Conner Womack and a two-out RBI single by Prescott Horn, Horn then advanced to second on a wild pitch and errant throw by the Bearcat shortstop brought home the go ahead run.
 
The Bearcats answered back once again with another four spot in the bottom of the fourth, Quinn Mason hit a laser just inside the left field foul pole to give the Bearcats a 6-5 lead and a two-run, two-out double off the center field wall by Trey Morris extended the Bearcat lead to 8-5 after four innings.
 
Northwest tacked another insurance run on in the seventh following a single by Layne Shiers, Shiers got all the way to third on an error on the Hillcat center fielder, Parker Griffith came up swinging the very next pitch sending one off the wall in right center scoring Shiers.
 
In his final start in a Bearcat uniform, Max Spitzmiller retired 10 straight Hillcat batters from the fifth inning into the eighth inning before surrendering a solo homerun to Conner Womack in the top of the eighth inning to bring the Bearcat lead to 9-6. Spitzmiller went 7 and 1/3 innings striking out five while giving up six runs tallying his first win of the season.
 
Bearcat skipper Darin Loe turned to Jacob Gajic in relief of Spitzmiller, Gajic forced a strikeout and flyout to center field to strand one Hillcat runner to finish off the eighth inning.
 
Northwest added another run with a two-out RBI in the bottom of the eighth off the bat of Brady Miles bringing the Bearcat lead to 10-6.
 
Gajic earned his fourth save of the year going 1 and 2/3 inning striking out two Hillcat hitters.
 
Before the game, seven Bearcat seniors were honored on senior day at Bearcat Baseball Field (Ryan Koski, Max Spitzmiller, Alex Slocum, Alexander Lovin, Colin Shreves, Caden Opfer, and Jace Davidson).
 
The season finale is set to begin tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m.

NOTES: Ryan Koski connected for his 13th home run of the season and 22 in his career in the third inning … Koski ranks tied for seventh on Northwest's career home run chart … Cole Slibowski extended his streak of games reaching base to 35 in a row … Rogers State out-hit Northwest, 12-10 … Northwest made two errors, while the Hillcats had three errors … Northwest pitchers issued four walks … RSU hurlers allowed three walks.