LIBERTY, Mo. -- The Northwest Missouri State baseball team (9-9, 3-3 MIAA) dropped an 8-6 decision to William Jewell (7-9, 0-4 GLVC) Tuesday night at Talley Stadium.

The Bearcats jumped out to an early lead, but an eight-run fourth inning by the Cardinals proved too much to overcome.

Leonardo May led the Northwest offense, going 3-for-4 at the plate, while Ryan Williams and Parker Griffith each recorded their second home runs of the season. Williams finished with a team-high two RBIs.

Williams got Northwest on the board quickly, launching a solo home run over the left-field fence in the first inning. Starter Fuga Yambe (0-2) kept WJC off the board early, striking out two in the bottom half.

The Bearcats extended their lead to 3-0 in the third after a bases-loaded walk drawn by Williams and a sacrifice fly from Dylan Hufft. Yambe held the Cardinals scoreless through three innings before exiting in the fourth. He finished with three innings pitched, allowing four hits, one earned run and four strikeouts.

Northwest ran into trouble in the fourth, as Carter Liezert and Garrett Stoll took the mound in relief. The Cardinals capitalized with eight runs in the inning to claim an 8-3 lead.

The Bearcats looked to chip away, starting with a solo home run from Max Pawela to lead off the fifth. May and Ashton Neuman followed with back-to-back singles, and Williams was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. However, a double play ended the threat, keeping WJC in front 8-4.

Griffith cut the deficit to three with a solo shot to right in the sixth, and Chester Brooks drove in another run with an RBI double in the eighth, making it 8-6.

Northwest got the leadoff man aboard in the ninth but couldn't complete the rally, as William Jewell held on for the win.
 
UP NEXT
The Bearcats will head to Pittsburg, Kan., for a three-game series against Pittsburg State beginning on Friday, March 14.