WARRENSBURG, Mo. – The Northwest Missouri State University softball team snapped its seven-game losing skid with a 7-2 victory in the second game of Tuesday's MIAA doubleheader at Central Missouri.
 
The Bearcats dropped the opener, 5-3 but bounced back to tally a 7-2 victory in the nightcap. Northwest is 11-16 overall and 1-5 in MIAA play. UCM is 13-11 overall and 2-4 in league action.
 
GAME ONE
The Bearcats could not overcome a 5-1 deficit through three innings as the Jennies hung a 5-3 win on Northwest in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader.
 
The Jennies scored on a sacrifice fly and a double in the first inning off Bearcat starter Olivia Moyer.
 
The Bearcats sliced the lead in half in the second on an RBI-single to left center from Alexis Brown to score Malia Cuevas.
 
The Jennies up the lead to 5-1 in the third on a bases loaded walk and another sacrifice fly.
 
Grace Lubben powered a two-run homer to right center in the fourth to pull the Bearcats to within 5-3. Northwest loaded the bases with two outs courtesy of three straight walks. However, Omara Love popped out to shortstop to end the threat.
 
Northwest managed only two more hits in the final four innings and both came in the seventh inning from Gaige Pinkerton and Lubben. Lubben produced a two-hit game. Northwest could not score in the final four innings and took the 5-3 loss.
 
Moyer suffered the loss to drop to 1-5 on the year. Moyer worked three innings and allowed seven hits and five runs (three earned). Moyer struck out two and walked two.
 
Erika Gore pitched the final three innings and allowed one hit and one walk. Gore did not surrender a run as she faced 11 batters.
 
GAME TWO
The Bearcats erupted for a seven-run performance in scoring a 7-2 victory over the Jennies.
 
Northwest took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Grace Lubben and Omara Love connected on back-to-back doubles.
 
UCM evened the score in the bottom half of the second.
 
Northwest put up a three-spot in the third inning to take a 4-1 lead. Annie Gahan led off with a walk and moved to second on a single from Lillie Filger. Alexis Brown delivered an RBI-double to center to plate Filger. Gaige Pinkerton drew a one-out walk to load the bases. Lubben singled to the pitcher to score Filger. Love came through with a sacrifice fly to center that allowed Brown to cross the plate and give Northwest a 4-1 advantage.
 
Brown connected on her own sacrifice fly in the sixth to bring home Curstin Todd for a 5-1 lead.
 
Northwest added two more insurance runs in the seventh when Todd served up a two-RBI single up the middle to score Mackenzie Mlnarik and Love for a 7-1 cushion.
 
Filger, Lubben and Love each secured two-hit contests in the second game of the double dip. Brown, Love and Todd recorded two-RBI games against the Jennies.
 
Jadyn Streigle gained her second win of the season by tossing one-run ball through six innings. Streigle allowed six hits and one run as she struck out two to move to 2-5 on the year.
 
The Bearcats will play two more road MIAA doubleheaders this week with matchups Friday at Fort Hays State and Saturday at Nebraska-Kearney.
 
NOTES: Grace Lubben hit her second career home run and recorded her first two multi-hit games of the season … it was Lubben's first multi-RBI game this year … Lillie Filger produced her 14th multi-game game this year … Filger produced three hits in the doubleheader to give her 187 career hits – three away from joining Northwest's top-10 list in hits … Filger is hitting a team-best .418 … Alexis Brown is batting .400 on the year … Omara Love has 12 multi-hit games this season … Love leads the squad with 10 doubles … Filger and Love are tied for the team lead in stolen bases (12) … Malia Cuevas has reached base in eight straight games … Olivia Moyer and Rien Moore are tied for the team lead with 37 strikeouts.