SILVER LAKE, Kan. – The Northwest Missouri State University softball squad went 4-2 at the Washburn Invitational by splitting two games Tuesday with Minnesota-Crookston and Rockhurst.
 
Northwest dispatched Minnesota-Crookston in its first game Tuesday, 5-0. The Bearcats dropped a 3-2 decision to Rockhurst to end the day.
 
The Bearcats sit at 8-7 overall on the season.
 
NORTHWEST 5, MINNESOTA-CROOKSTON 0
Bearcat starting pitcher Cassidy Paulson tossed a shutout and Skylar Pieper provided an offensive boost with a three-run homer.
 
Lillie Filger worked a six-pitch walk to lead off the game. Omara Love moved Filger up to second with a single up the middle. Pieper was down in the count 1-2, but launched a home run down the left field line to give the Bearcats a 3-0 advantage four batters into the game.
 
Gaige Pinkerton drew a walk and Malia Cuevas followed with a double to put two runners in scoring position with only one out. Timber Wilson delivered a run-scoring single to left to plate Pinkerton and stake the Bearcats to a 4-0 lead.
 
Paulson retired the Crookston batters in order in the first but then scattered eight hits over the next six innings. Paulson worked out of a jam in the fifth as Crookston put a runner on third with one out. Paulson induced a strikeout and ground ball back to her to end the threat.
 
Pieper gave Northwest an insurance run in the fifth. She led off with a single and then stole second and went to third on a throwing error by the Crookston catcher. Pinkerton lifted a sac fly to center to score Pieper and give Northwest a 5-0 advantage.
 
Crookston put two more runners on in the sixth before she got a lineout to right field to keep the Eagles stuck on zero runs.
 
The Eagles mounted a final rally in the seventh with a walk and single with two outs. Paulson got a pop up to first to end it and secure the shutout win.
 
Pieper went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBI. Wilson went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Love went 2-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base.
 
Paulson gained her first career shutout and second career complete game. Paulson struck out four Crookston batters and walked only one in her 96-pitch effort. Paulson moved to 2-1 on the season. It is the first complete game of the season by a Northwest pitcher.
 
ROCKHURST 3, NORTHWEST 2
Northwest out-hit Rockhurst but the Hawks were able to get a two-run homer in the sixth inning to lift them to a 3-2 win over the Bearcats.
 
Northwest took a 2-0 lead in the first courtesy of a two-run double from Skylar Pieper. Lillie Filger led off with a single to right. Filger moved up to second on a sac bunt from Alexis Brown. Omara Love reached on an infield single to shortstop. Pieper delivered a two-RBI double to right center that allowed Filger and Love to scamper home.
 
Bearcat starting pitcher Erika Gore did not allow a hit in the first four innings, but Rockhurst was able to scratch across a run in the third because of a walk and two wild pitches.
 
Rockhurst's Jayla Pierce led off the fifth inning with a double to left to break up Gore's no-hit bid.  Gore wriggled free from the jam and kept the Bearcats on top, 2-1.
 
Gore tossed 72 pitches in five innings. She allowed one run on one hit. She struck out three and walked four.
 
Bearcat head coach Naomi Tellez handed the ball to Olivia Moyer in the sixth to look to hang on to the one-run lead. Moyer gave up a lead off walk. Following a sacrifice bunt, Rockhurst's McKenna Lester launched a two-run home run to right field to give the Hawks a 3-2 lead with one out in the sixth.
 
Moyer was lifted after four batters for Rien Moore. Moyer went a third of an inning and gave up two runs on two hits and walked a batter. Moore got the final two outs of the sixth to leave the Bearcats trailing 3-2 heading to the seventh.
 
Malia Cuevas singled to left field with one out in the seventh. Grace Lubben was inserted as a pinch runner. Kaylee Cords was called on to pinch hit. Cords flew out to right for the second out of the inning. Curstin Todd struck out to end the game.
 
Northwest's next set of action is slated for Saturday and Sunday in Shawnee, Kan., at the Midwest College Classic. Northwest will play Rockhurst (Sat., 1:30 p.m.), Southwest Baptist (Sat., 4 p.m.), Augustana (Sun., 10 a.m.) and Maryville (Sun., 12:30 p.m.).
 
NOTES: Omara Love and Lillie Filger each extended their hitting streaks to six straight games with hits in both contests … Skylar Pieper tops the squad in home runs (2), RBI (14) and stolen bases (6).