MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team picked up its first win of the 2024 season with 9-3 win on the road at the Christian Brothers Bucs.
 
Northwest moves to 1-1 on the season while the Bucs fall to 1-1.
 
Christian Brothers scored in the first inning for the second straight day on an interference call to take a 1-0 lead.
 
The Bearcats answered in the top of the third inning when Ryan Williams drove in Cole Slibowski with a line drive to center field.
 
Brock Steggall relieved starter Andrew Clark with two outs in the third and stranded a Bucs runner at third after the Bucs scratched one across to take a 2-1 lead.
 
In the top half of the fourth the Bearcats answered with a crooked number to take a 5-2 lead. Northwest loaded the bases with nobody out, Cole Slibowksi drew a bases loaded walk to drive in the tying run and Caden Diel followed with a two-RBI single to right field to stretch the lead to 4-2, Williams then reached on a dropped third strike allowing Slibowski to score.
 
Ryan Williams grounded into a double play, but a run scored to stretch the Bearcat lead to 6-2 in the top of the sixth. Trey Morris followed with a big two-out RBI single to center to grow the lead to 7-2.
 
Northwest tacked on two more insurance runs in the top of the eighth inning thanks to a throwing error by the Bucs shortstop.
 
Brock Steggall got the win on the mound and was excellent for the Bearcats out of the bullpen, surrendering zero runs while giving up two hits in 2 1/3 innings of work. The Bearcat pitching staff was outstanding giving up three runs on six hits and striking out seven.
 
Noah Bodenhausen and Caden Diel tallied multi-hit afternoons with two hits apiece. Northwest as a team only struck out five times and notched eight hits on the day.
 
Northwest will close out the four-game series with a double header tomorrow beginning at 11 a.m. Game one of the double header will be nine innings, game two will be seven innings.