MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Northwest Missouri State baseball team (5-8 overall) rallied with four unanswered runs in the seventh and eighth innings, but Concordia-St. Paul (2-3 overall) regained control with a two-run homer in the ninth to secure a 10-8 victory and even the series. 

Ryan Williams led the offense, going 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Max Pawela and Chester Brooks delivered the Bearcats' only extra-base hits. 

Bearcat starter Ben Haug tied a career-high six strikeouts in five innings of work. Jaxon Meyer, Connor Polli, Carter Liezert, and Logan Brasel all made appearances in relief.
 
Haug opened the game with two strikeouts in the first inning. Northwest threatened in the bottom of the frame when Williams reached on a fielding error and Kaehukai Young executed a hit-and-run to put runners on first and third with two outs. However, CSP escaped the inning without allowing a run.
 
In the second, Pawela hit a two-out double down the right field line, and Leonardo May was hit by a pitch, putting two on for the Bearcats. Despite the opportunity, CSP's first baseman snared a ground ball to strand the runners once again. 
 
CSP broke the deadlock in the third when Bennett McCollow hit a two-run homer to give the Golden Bears a 2-0 lead. Northwest answered when Williams reached on another error, followed by a bunt single from Hufft. Alex Bowers then grounded out to bring Williams in and put the 'Cats on the board, trailing 2-1.
 
In the fifth, Haug ran into trouble as CSP loaded the bases and capitalized on a two-out, two-RBI single from Kal Brohmer to extend its lead to 4-1. The Bearcats responded in the bottom half, with Hufft and Young each hitting sacrifice flies to bring Northwest within one, 4-3.
 
Meyer relieved Haug in the sixth, but CSP quickly extended their lead when McCollow hit his second homer of the game, pushing the Golden Bears ahead 6-3. Brooks answered with a bloop single into center that he stretched into a double, later scoring on a wild pitch to pull Northwest within two runs. 
 
CSP increased its lead to 8-4 after plating two more in the seventh. Northwest fought back in the eighth, with Neuman reaching on an infield single and Williams following with a single to right-center. Hufft then tied the game at 8-8 after CSP's second baseman mishandled a throw.
 
The game's momentum shifted again in the ninth. Liezert walked the leadoff batter, who was advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Brasel entered in relief, recording a fly out for the second out of the inning. However, Koby McBroome hit a two-run home run to left field, eventually clinching the 10-8 win for CSP, and evening the series at one game apiece.

Liezert (0-1) took the loss, as CSP's ninth-inning closer, Jack Greenlun, earned his first win of the 2025 season. 

UP NEXT
The Bearcats will look to claim their second series of the season against the Golden Bears on Saturday, March 1, at 1 p.m. 
 
NOTES
Northwest didn't commit a fielding error for the sixth time this season…CSP outhit Northwest 14-to-6…The Bearcats stranded nine runners on base…Bearcat hurlers struck out a season-high nine batters…Kaehukai Young has drove in a run in 10 of the Bearcats' 13 games this season.