MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Northwest Missouri State baseball team (13-14, 7-7 MIAA) came up short in its Wednesday midweek matchup, dropping a 4-0 decision to Missouri Western (7-20, 5-12 MIAA) at Griffon Baseball Field.

Hits were hard to come by for the Bearcats, who managed just three singles from Dylan Hufft, Ashton Neuman, and Kaehukai Young.

Northwest starter Brock Steggall (3-2) worked around early trouble in the first, stranding two Griffons with a strikeout to end the inning, aided by a 7-3 putout from Ryan Williams to Brady Miles. Hufft notched Northwest's first hit in the fourth, but Missouri Western broke through in the bottom half, plating two runs to take a 2-0 lead.

Neuman added a two-out single in the sixth, but Missouri Western's starter continued to dominate, keeping the Bearcats off the board. The Griffons extended their lead with another run in the bottom of the sixth, making it 3-0.

In the eighth, Young found a hole through the left side for a one-out single, and Miles was hit by a pitch to put two runners on. Leonardo May then lined a sharp drive to center, but it was caught to end the threat.

Griffons' starter Colby Deaver exited after seven innings, allowing just three hits. 

Northwest was outhit 10-3—its second-lowest total of the season—as Missouri Western secured a 4-0 win. Despite leading the MIAA in walks drawn (No. 25 nationally), the Bearcats failed to draw a single walk in the contest. 
 
UP NEXT
The Bearcats return home to host Rogers State in a three-game MIAA series beginning on Friday, March 28. First pitch is set for 3 p.m., at Bearcat Baseball Field.