MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Northwest Missouri State baseball team came up short against William Jewell, dropping a 5-3 decision Tuesday afternoon at Bearcat Baseball Field.

Dylan Hufft led the Bearcat offense, collecting two singles and an RBI, while Ashton Neuman reached base four times with two hits and two walks.

Jaxon Meyer made his first start of the season in his eighth appearance, retiring the first two batters he faced before notching a strikeout to close the opening frame.

Northwest struck first in the third inning when Brody Hufft led off with a single, followed by a Neuman walk. Dylan Hufft delivered an RBI single to bring Brody Hufft home, giving the Bearcats a 1-0 lead through three innings.

Jayme Fritts entered in the fifth for just his second appearance of the season and continued Northwest's strong pitching effort, putting up a scoreless frame. Andrew Clark took over in the sixth in his first outing since May 5, 2024, following an injury recovery. The Cardinals, however, broke through with a two-run homer to center to take a 2-1 lead.

The Bearcats quickly responded as Dylan Hufft reached base and later scored on a passed ball to tie the game at 2-2. Parker Griffith worked a two-out walk, forcing William Jewell to make its first pitching change. The Cardinals' reliever loaded the bases with another walk to Leonardo May but escaped the jam, keeping the score even heading into the seventh.

William Jewell regained the lead in the eighth with a two-run double from Cam Dayton, pushing ahead 4-2. Northwest threatened in the bottom half but left the bases loaded for the second time in the game after a crucial strikeout.

The Cardinals added an insurance run in the ninth to extend their lead to 5-2. The Bearcats fought back, with Kaehuaki Young driving in Dylan Hufft to cut the deficit to 5-3, but a final flyout ended the comeback bid.

Northwest stranded 11 runners on base, including two innings with the bases loaded. Six Bearcats saw action out of the bullpen, including Meyer, Fritts, Clark, Austin O'Gorman, Carter Liezert (0-2), and Kayden Cook.

Dayton led the Cardinals with a 3-for-4 performance, tallying two extra-base hits and driving in four of WJC's five runs.

With the loss, Northwest moves to 13-13 on the season, while William Jewell improves to 13-12 overall.
 
UP NEXT
Northwest looks to bounce back on the road against Missouri Western at 5 p.m., tomorrow, March 26 at Griffon Baseball Field in St Joseph, Mo.