Bearcats split MIAA-opening series
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — The Northwest baseball team split its weekend series with Northeastern State 2-2 after the series was moved up due to inclement weather.
The Bearcats dropped the opening game 4-1 before Thursday’s nightcap was postponed due to darkness. Northwest held on for a 12-10 win when play resumed Friday morning.
The RiverHawks won the first game of Friday’s double-header, also by a 4-1 margin before Northwest claimed the final game 7-0 to split its conference-opening series and improve to 4-7 (2-2 MIAA) on the year.
Thursday, Northeastern State scored single runs in the third and fourth innings and added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth. Senior second baseman Paul Johnson drove in the lone Northwest run in the sixth inning on a fielder’s choice.
Freshman Brad Roberts took the loss for the Bearcats, throwing four innings and allowing two runs on four hits with two strikeouts.
Friday morning, the Bearcats and RiverHawks picked up their suspended game in the top of the eighth with Northwest holding a 9-5 lead.
The Bearcats got on the board quickly with a three-run first inning as freshman third baseman Nick Howard blasted his team-leading third home run of the season to score junior shortstop Nick Gotta and senior first baseman Steven Garber.
After scoring single runs in the third and fifth innings, Northwest blew the game open with a four-run seventh inning to take the 9-5 lead. The Bearcats scored on a fielder’s choice an infield single and a two-run error to gain the upper hand.
Northwest scored its final three runs in the eighth inning after play resumed Friday, plating a pair on an error before Gotta stole home.
Northeastern State scored five runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, but the rally fell just short as the Bearcats grabbed their first MIAA win of the season.
Howard drove in four runs and had a pair of hits while Garber and sophomore left fielder Kolby Greenslade each recorded a pair of hits as well with two and one RBI, respectively.
Sophomore Anthony Caenepeel went 5.1 innings to start the game, allowing three runs with five strikeouts. Freshman Jacob Wagner recorded the final out of the sixth inning and was credited with the victory. Freshman Joseph Hitpas earned the save after ringing up the final batter of the game.
Northeastern State scored all four of its runs in the bottom of the fifth in the first game of Friday’s regularly-scheduled double-header as Hietpas suffered the loss, going 4.2 innings, striking out nine and giving up all four runs.
Gotta, Garber and Howard all recorded a pair of hits and Garber scored the lone Bearcat run in the sixth inning on a groundout by sophomore designated hitter Luke Wilkinson.
To finish out the series, three Northwest pitchers — sophomore Nikko Pablo, Wilkinson and senior Carson Smith — combined for a six-hit shutout. Pablo struck out three in six innings of work, allowing five hits in earning the win.
Sophomore right fielder Austin Wulff hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning to start the Bearcats’ scoring before the Bearcats added two more runs in the eighth on an error and an RBI double from Johnson.
Wulff added some insurance in the ninth inning, hitting a bases-clearing double down the right field line.
Wulff finished with two hits, three walks and five RBI while sophomore center fielder Garrett Fort and sophomore right fielder James Holler also contributed two-hit games.
Northwest’s home-opener is scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27 against Central Oklahoma, the start of a four-game weekend series.
