ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Northwest Missouri State University baseball came back from a six-run deficit to secure a 17-15 win over the Henderson State University Reddies at Clyde Berry Field.
 
The Bearcats won three of four against the Reddies to take the series. Northwest is 5-3 on the season, while HSU is 3-4 overall.
 
Northwest scored 17 runs on 15 hits. The Bearcats committed a season-high five errors. It's the first time Northwest has won a game in which it committed five or more errors since a 9-8, 10-inning win over Central Missouri on April 5, 2018.
 
The Bearcat offense got jump-started in the first when Ryan Williams and Trey Morris smacked back-to-back homers with two outs. Williams hit his to right-center, and Morris knocked his out of the park in left-center.
 
The Reddies tallied four runs on four hits in the bottom half of the first to take a 4-2 lead. HSU scored three of the runs with two outs in the first.
 
Northwest leveled the game at 4-4 in the top of the second without the benefit of a hit. Jacob Selock and Trent Kozeal each reached on walks. Selock stole second, Northwest's 18th consecutive stolen base to begin the season, before Kozeal drew his walk. Max Pawela flied out to right and the runners advanced to second and third. HSU starting pitcher Mitchell Szczygiel uncorked a pair of wild pitches that allowed Selock and Kozeal to cross the plate with two outs.
 
The Reddies put together a four-run rally in the third with two outs. HSU scored runs on an RBI double, RBI single and two defensive miscues by the Bearcats. HSU held an 8-4 lead after three.
 
Bearcat head coach Darin Loe closed the book on starter Jaxson Meyer after three innings of work. Meyer allowed seven hits and eight runs (five earned). Meyer notched four strikeouts and walked only one HSU batter.
 
Loe turned to reliever Jayme Fritts to take over in the fourth. Fritz walked his first batter, but then got two outs. However, HSU answered with an RBI single and double to take the lead to 10-4 through four.
 
The Bearcats chased HSU's Szczygiel in the fifth when the first four batters reached base. Cole Slibowski doubled down the left field line to lead off the inning. Noah Bodenhausen singled and Slibowski moved over to third on the hit. Bodenhausen stole second before Williams walked to load the bases. Morris came through with his second extra-base hit of the game, a two-run double down the left field line that scored Slibowski and Bodenhausen. One out later, Kaehukai drew a walk to reload the bases. Selock worked a bases-loaded walk to pull the Bearcats to within three. Kozeal came through with a sac fly to center to score Morris which cut the lead to two at 10-8.
 
Fritts faced three batters in the sixth when he was pulled for Connor Polli. Polli inherited two runners and was greeted with an RBI double to right-center that gave HSU an 11-8 lead. Nick Tremblay hit a pinch-hit three-run homer to take the lead back to six at 14-8.
 
Northwest's offense was not done as the Bearcats put up five runs with four of them coming with two outs. The first three batters reached, however Young was caught off second following an infield single from Selock. Brady Miles scored on the play when the HSU second baseman Cal Jones threw the ball away. Evan Tocmo and Slibowski worked walks to load the bases with two outs. Bodenhausen reached on an infield single to third that scored Selock. Williams singled to first base to plate Tocmo. Morris followed with a two-run single up the middle to bring home Bodenhausen and Slibowski. Morris' two RBIs cut the Henderson State lead to 14-13.
 
The Bearcats completed the comeback with a three-spot in the eighth to take a 16-14 lead. Young led off with a walk. He moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt from Selock. Kozeal singled to shortstop and Young was able to motor around from second and scored to draw the game even at 14-14. Tocmo bunted for a single and Kozeal moved to third. Slibowski walked to fill the bases. Bodenhausen laced a single to center that plated Kozeal. Williams followed with a sac fly to center to score Tocmo and stake the Bearcats to a 16-14 advantage.
 
Loe turned to Jacob Gajic to protect the two-run lead and earn a six-out save. Gajic struck out the first batter he faced in the eighth, before surrendering a bunt single. Gajic induced a ground out to third before he plunked HSU's Louis Holt to put two on with two out in the eighth. HSU's Kaden Arganbright singled up the middle to plate a run and pull the Reddies back to within a single run at 16-15. Gajic got HSU's Dillon Thomas to ground out to second to end the eighth.
 
Northwest added an insurance run in the top of the ninth. Brady Miles rifled a double to right to begin the inning. Layne Shiers entered as a pinch runner for Miles. One out later, Selock worked the count for a walk. Kozeal loaded the bases when he reached on an error by HSU third baseman Arganbright. Tocmo drove in a run on a fielder's choice that saw Selock put out at third and Shiers scored. Slibowski fied out to right to end the inning and leave the Bearcats on top, 17-15.
 
Gajic allowed a leadoff single, but came back with a strikeout and a ground-ball double play to secure the 17-15 Bearcat victory. It was Gajic's first save of the season and 10^th of his Bearcat career.
 
Polli (1-0) collected his first career win on the mound. Polli pitched 1 2/3 and allowed five hits and two runs (both earned).
 
NOTES: Bodenhausen went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI … Williams went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBI … Morris went 3-for-6 with two runs scored and five RBI … Miles went 2-for-5 with a double … Selock went 2-for-2 with two runs scored, an RBI to go along with three walks … Kozeal scored two runs … Northwest drew 13 walks … it is the fourth time this season that Northwest has scored 10 or more runs … it's the third time this season that Northwest has drawn double-digit walks … the 17 runs scored by Northwest is a season-high and the most runs scored by the Bearcats since a 20-5 win over Newman on April 1, 2023 … Gajic's 10 saves ranks as the seventh-best total in program history.


Northwest Career Saves
1. Trevor Dudar, 2018-19 - 23
2. Carson Smith, 2011-16 - 17
3. Matt Goodman, 2000-01 - 15
4. Brett Whittle, 2006-07 - 13
5. Jayson Huett, 2010-11 - 12
6. Nikko Pablo, 2014-17 - 11
7. Jacob Gajic, 2022-pr. - 10
8. Evan Nickell, 2007-08 - 9
9. Matt Coons, 2003-06 - 8
10. Brett Rust, 2002 - 7
     Troy Newman, 1984-85 - 7