SHAWNEE, Kan. – The Northwest Missouri State University softball squad had to work a little extra time Sunday to gain a split of games at the Midwest College Classic.
 
Augustana gained a 3-1 win over Northwest to begin the day. Northwest was able to bounce back with an extra-inning comeback win over Maryville, 5-3.
 
Northwest is 10-9 on the season.
 
AUGUSTANA 3, NORTHWEST 1
Northwest and Augustana each posted eight hits, but the Vikings were able to convert three runs to only one for the Bearcats.
 
Northwest got a run in the first when Omara Love drove in Lillie Filger with a single to center. Unfortunately, the Bearcat offense could not generate any more runs in the final six innings.
 
Augustana tied the game with a single run in the fourth. The Vikings took a one-run lead in the sixth and added an insurance run in the seventh for the 3-1 triumph.
 
Filger, Love and Gaige Pinkerton each registered two hits.
 
Bearcat starting pitcher Jadyn Streigle went the distance but took the loss to fall to 1-2 on the season. Streigle allowed three runs (all earned) on eight hits. She struck out five and walked two. It was Streigle's first complete game of the season and 26th of her Bearcat career.
 
NORTHWEST 5, MARYVILLE 3 (8 INN.)
The Bearcats fought back from the brink of defeat by scoring two runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth to record a 5-3 victory over the Saints.
 
Northwest took a 1-0 lead in the third on a two-out, RBI-double from Omara Love. Alexis Brown reached on a fielder's choice and stole second before racing home on the Love double.
 
Maryville leveled the game at 1-1 in the bottom half of the third on a two-out double of its down.
 
The Saints took a 3-1 advantage on a two-out, two-run homer from Jenna Kosnof in the bottom of the fifth off Bearcat starter Olivia Moyer.
 
The Saints looked to pull away in the sixth, but head coach Naomi Tellez turned to freshman pitcher Rien Moore to squelch the rally. Moore left two runners stranded in the sixth to give Northwest a chance to tie in the seventh.
 
Gaige Pinkerton led off with a single to center. Grace Lubben was called on to pinch run for Pinkerton. Malia Cuevas grounded out to shortstop as Lubben moved up to second base. Timber Wilson came through with an RBI-double to right field to cut the Maryville lead to 3-2. Pinch hitter Kaylee Cords grounded out to second to move Wilson over to third. With two out, Curstin Todd drilled an RBI-double to center field to plate Wilton and knot the contest at 3-3.
 
Moore worked out of a bases loaded jam in the seventh with a strikeout of Maryville's Mandi Lenon to force extra innings.
 
Northwest took full advantage of the extra frame by scoring a pair of runs. Love drew a one-out walk and stole second base. Skylar Pieper lifted an RBI-double to center to score Love. Gaige Pinkerton ripped a single to right to score Pieper and give Northwest a 5-3 lead.
 
Moore struck out three batters in the eighth as she surrounded those outs with a single and a walk.
 
Moore got the win to move to 5-0 on the season. Moore worked three innings and gave up three hits and no runs. She struck out seven batters.
 
Gaige Pinkerton came through with three of Northwest's nine hits. It is his first three-hit game of the season.
 
Northwest will travel to Nebraska-Kearney to begin MIAA play this Friday. The doubleheader is set to get underway at 1 p.m. in Kearney, Neb. The Bearcats will make their home debut Sunday at 2 p.m. with a doubleheader against the Augustana Vikings.
 
NOTES: Omara Love and Lillie Filger each extended their hitting streaks to 10 in a row … Filger has reached base in 12 straight games … Love leads the team in batting (.420) … Gaige Pinkerton is batting .417 to rank second on the squad … Alexis Brown is hitting .403 and is tied for second on the team with 27 hits … Filger has posted a team-best 29 hits … Love and Skylar Pieper are tied for the team lead with 15 RBI … Moore is 5-0 with a 0.60 ERA … Moore has allowed two earned runs in 23 1/3 innings pitched.