MARYVILLE, Mo. - The Missouri Western State University Griffons hung on for a 6-5, 10-inning victory Saturday over the Northwest Missouri State University Bearcats.

The Griffons plated three runs in the top of the 10th and then gunned down the tying run at the plate to secure the 6-5 victory.

Bearcat starter Max Spitzmiller pitched into the seventh inning but took a no decision. Spitzmiller allowed three runs and struck out five as he threw 101 pitches.

The Griffons scored a run in the first on two hits paired with a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly.

Northwest took a 2-1 lead in the third. Northwest tallied three hits in the inning and took advantage of a Griffon error. Layne Shiers led off with a single, but was retired on a fielder's choice by Caden Opfer. Opfer moved up to second on a single by Jacob Selock. Cole Slibowski drove in Opfer to tie the game at 1-1. Alex Bowers lined out to second but the throw by MWSU's Dale Sackewitz back to first went into the Griffon dugout for a two-base error that allowed Selock to score and give Northwest a 2-1 lead.

The Griffons locked the game back up at 2-2 with a one-out RBI in the sixth.

Ryan Koski put the Bearcats back on top in the bottom half of the sixth with a leadoff homer to left field. It was Koski's team-leading ninth homer of the season and 18th of his career.

The Griffons again battled back to knot the score at 3-3 in the seventh and chase Spitzmiller from the game.

Head coach Darin Loe called on Jaxson Meyer to get the final out of the seventh and squelch the Griffon rally. Meyer pitched 2/3 of an inning and was lifted in the eighth in favor of Jacob Gajic. Gajic tallied a strikeout and a foul out to get the Bearcats out of the eighth with the score level at 3-3.

The Bearcats put two runners on with one out in the ninth but could not score and left them stranded at second and third.

MWSU took a 4-3 lead in the 10th on a walk, sacrifice bunt and run-scoring single. The Griffons added two more on a two-run double off reliever Andrew Clark to take a 6-3 lead to the bottom half of the 10th.

Slibowski was robbed of a hit by MWSU third baseman Jared Munk to lead off the 10th. Bowers singled with one out and Koski drew a walk. Ryan Williams earned a walk to load the bases with still only one out. Parker Griffith struck out to set the table for Caden Diel.

Diel ripped a shot to the right field wall that scored both Bowers and Koski. However, Williams was thrown out at the plate to end the game and give the Griffons a 6-5 victory.

Northwest will be at home Tuesday at 3 p.m. against Washburn.

NOTES: Jacob Selock recorded his second three-hit game of the season and his fifth multi-hit contest ... Diel secured his third multi-hit game ... Shiers posted his fifth multi-hit game ... it was Diel's fourth multi-RBI contest ... Cole Slibowski has reached base in 25 consecutive games ... Diel has an eight-game hitting streak ... Bowers has hit in six straight games.