MARYVILLE, Mo. – Graduate infielder Jacob Selock crushed a pair of two-run home runs and racked up a game-high four RBI as the Northwest Missouri State baseball team powered past Arkansas-Fort Smith, 16-6, in seven innings Sunday at Bearcat Baseball Field.

With the series sweep, Northwest moves above .500 at 13-12 overall and 7-6 in MIAA play. Arkansas-Fort Smith falls to 8-18 and 3-13 in conference action.

The Bearcats' bats stayed hot, racking up 17 hits, including 10 extra-base knocks—six doubles, three home runs, and a triple. Selock led the charge with a 3-for-4 day, launching two homers and driving in four. Chester Brooks also went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, while Brody Hufft blasted a three-run walk-off homer to secure the run-rule victory in the seventh.

Northwest's offense dominated the weekend, tallying 39 runs on 42 hits to claim its second series sweep and fourth series win of the season.

Both teams went scoreless in the opening frame, with starter Ashton Neuman setting the Lions down in order before Northwest left Kaehukai Young stranded following a two-out single.

The Bearcats broke through in the second after Brooks led off with a double and scored on an RBI single from Alex Bowers. Neuman, also positioned as the designated hitter, roped a ball to center that got past the UAFS outfielder for a two-RBI single – advanced to third on the error. A groundout from Ryan Williams plated Neuman, and Young added an RBI single to cap a five-run, six-hit inning, giving Northwest a 5-0 lead.

UAFS answered back with a four-run fourth inning, cutting the deficit to one. However, the Bearcats responded in the bottom half as Williams ripped an RBI double to make it 6-4.

After the Lions tied it at 6-6 in the fifth, Northwest immediately countered with three runs. Bowers brought in Brooks with a sacrifice fly before Selock crushed his first homer of the game, a towering two-run shot to left, restoring a 9-6 advantage.

The Bearcats continued to pile on runs in the later innings. Brooks drove in Brody Hufft in the sixth to push the lead to 10-6. In the seventh, Selock belted his second two-run homer, Dylan Hufft tripled in another run, and Young was hit by a pitch before B. Hufft ended the game with a three-run blast to seal the 16-6 victory.
 
Bearcat starter Neuman tossed 3 1/3 innings, allowing four earned runs on five hits and two strikeouts. May (2-0) picked up the win, throwing 1 2/3 innings with four punchouts, as Landon Wells closed out the game in the final two innings, allowing just two hits and striking out a pair. 

UP NEXT
Northwest will play host to William Jewell for its second meeting of the season at 3 p.m., on Tuesday, March 25 at Bearcat Baseball Field.