MARYVILLE, Mo. - The Northwest Missouri State University softball team won the opener but dropped the back end of a home doubleheader to the Emporia State University Hornets.

Northwest rallied for a 4-3 win in the first game. ESU held Northwest in check in game two, 2-0. Northwest is 17-24 overall and 7-13 in MIAA play, while ESU is 26-18 overall and 7-11 in league action.

GAME ONE
Northwest used a three-run rally in the sixth inning to earn a 4-3 victory over Emporia State.

It was Northwest's first win of the season when trailing after the fifth inning. Northwest had lost its previous 20 games when trailing after five innings. 

The Bearcats posted eight hits as Grace Lubben and Omara Love each had two hits.

ESU scored in the first inning without the benefit of a hit and took a 1-0 lead.

Lubben delivered an RBI-double in the fourth to plate Love and draw the Bearcats even at 1-1.

The Hornets took a 2-1 lead on an RBI single in the sixth as they chased Bearcat starter Erika Gore. Gore tossed 5 2/3 innings and allowed two runs on four hits. She walked two and struck out one Hornet before departing. The Hornets could have scored more but Lillie Filger gunned down Kennedy Topping at the plate on a single to center field for the second out of the inning.

The Bearcats pounded out five hits and scored three times in the sixth to take their first lead of the game. Love singled for her second hit of the game. Skylar Pieper reached on an infield single to shortstop to put runners in first and second. Lubben came through with a rocket single to center to load the bases. Malia Cuevas lifted a ball just over the ESU second baseman Mallory Moore to tie the game at 2-2. Gaige Pinkerton served up a two-run single down the right field line to score Avery Mayberry and Pieper to give Northwest a 4-2 advantage.

Olivia Moyer allowed a leadoff homer in the top of the seventh that allowed ESU to draw within 4-3. Moyer then got three of the next four batters out to secure the one-run victory. Moyer improved to 2-5 with the victory in the circle.

GAME TWO
ESU starter Gracie Rabe tossed a four-hit shutout as the Hornets were able to gain a split of the doubleheader, 2-0.

Bearcat starter Jadyn Streigle pitched well but took the loss to fall to 6-8 on the year. Streigle allowed a second-inning solo homer and otherwise kept the Hornets off the board until two outs in the seventh. Streigle tossed 6 2/3 innings and struck out seven batters. She allowed two runs on 11 hits.

Northwest had two runners on in the second when Skylar Pieper singled to center and Malia Cuievas secured a one-out single to center field. The Bearcats were unable to move a runner to third after the Pinkerton sisters (Gaige and Rhian) each made outs.

Omara Love led off the fourth with a single to right but could only advance as far as second base before the inning ended.

Cuevas recorded Northwest's fourth hit of the game with two outs in the seventh. However, Gaige Pinkerton hit a fly ball to right to end the game.

NOTES: Omara Love extended her hitting streak to 10 games in a row ... Love was credited with her 15th stolen base in game one ... Love has posted 18 multi-hit games this season ... Grace Lubben gained her sixth multi-hit contest of the year ... Malia Cuevas has nine multi-hit games this season ... Lillie Filger leads the team with a .394 batting average ... Love ranks second on the team with a .389 batting average.