MARYVILLE, Mo. -- The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team sealed the series with a resounding 12-5 victory over the No. 8-ranked Missouri Southern State University Lions on Saturday.

Northwest improves to 15-18 overall and 7-13 in the MIAA, as Missouri Southern drops to 28-8 overall and 15-5 in conference action. 

Missouri Southern used one run on one hit to take a 1-0 lead after the top of the first. 

Noah Bodenhausen saw one pitch and ripped a lead-off triple to the right-center gap. The next batter, Alex Bowers grounded out to the second basemen to score Bodenhausen from third. Sam Wornson gave the Bearcats a 2-1 lead after he drove in Trey Morris. Northwest wasn't done in the first, as Kaehukai Young poked a single through the right side, making the score 3-1 after one inning. 

The Lions took the 4-3 lead after recording three runs off one hit in the third. 

Connor Polli came in to pitch for Bearcat starter Andrew Clark in the fourth. Clark's day was done after going three innings, allowing seven hits, three earned, and striking out three. Polli was able to retire his first three batters of the afternoon, keeping the score at 4-3 in favor of the Lions. 

In the bottom of the fifth, Trey Morris unleashed on a two-run homer to give the Bearcats a 5-4 lead. 

Morris then knocked his second home run of the game on the first pitch of the seventh inning to give the 'Cats a 6-4 lead. Brady Miles then reached on an error by the Lion third baseman. Wornson followed with a single to put runners on first and second. Young tacked on a run with an RBI single to extend Northwest's lead to 7-4. The Bearcats weren't done in the home half of the seventh, as Jake Emhardt singled down the right-field line to bring the score to 8-4 with one out in the inning. Bowers drew a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch to bring the score to 9-4. With one out in the inning, Williams drove in two more runs with Northwest leading 11-4. The Bearcats drove in six runs on five hits to keep the score 11-4 after seven complete. 

Wornson hit his first collegiate round-tripper in the eighth to give the 'Cats a 12-4 lead. 

Jake Ciafullo came in for Polli to close the door in the ninth. The Lions would score one run in the ninth to make it 12-5. 

Polli (2-0) was credited with the win, going five innings, one hit, zero earned runs, and striking out five. 

With today's win, Northwest has claimed its first ranked series victory over a ranked opponent since the 2006 season (Central Missouri). 

NOTES:
Morris went 3-for-4 with two homers and three RBI...Wornson hit his first collegiate home run going 3-for-5 with two RBI...Williams went 3-for-5 with two RBI...Bowers knocked in two runners.