Northwest softball sweeps Lincoln in doubleheader
DAVID MERRILL/DAILY FORUM
Northwest Missouri State University’s Kaitlin Weis connects with a pitch during Game 1 of the Bearcats’ doubleheader against Lincoln on Thursday. Weis went 1-for-4 in the contest. Northwest won 11-2.
It may have taken a few innings, but once the Northwest Missouri State softball team got its bats going, they never stopped.
Northwest swept Lincoln in its home opener and Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association opener on Thursday. The Bearcats won the first game 11-2 before winning the second game 11-3.
Both games ended after six innings of play.
The Bearcats move to 9-6 on the season and 2-0 in conference play.
Northwest coach Ryan Anderson said he was happy with the way his team swung the bat.
“It was nice both games to start unloading on it and scoring runs, but after the game, I told them we have to maintain that the whole game.”
Game 1
Northwest struck first getting three runs in the bottom of the second inning thanks to a bases-loaded walk and a two-RBI single from Jaedra Moses.
Northwest increased its lead to 4-0 in the third inning when Abigail Gilson hit an RBI double. Chantel Adams came in to score on the play.
The 4-0 Northwest lead held until the top of the fifth inning when Chelsey Kerr hit an RBI single up the middle, cutting the score to 4-1. Kelsey Kerr followed suit with an RBI single to right that scored Chelsey, bringing the Bearcat lead to 4-2.
Northwest didn’t score any in the bottom of the fifth, but freshman pitcher Kaitlin Weis helped keep the Blue Tigers off the board in the top of the sixth.
The Bearcats then exploded in the seventh inning, going for seven runs, which put the game away and led to an early finish.
Rebecca Maher drove in the first run of the inning with an RBI double to left field before Adams hit a two-RBI single to left center to give the Bearcats a 7-2 lead.
Kiana Baderdeen capped off Game 1 in thrilling fashion with a grand slam home run with Northwest up 7-2.
Taylor Blackford, who started on the mound, got the win to improve to 4-1 on the year. She finished with one walk and no strikeouts while allowing two runs, both earned, on six hits over five innings of work.
Weis pitched the final inning and recorded a strikeout.
Baderdeen led with four RBI while Adams and Moses each had two.
Game 2
The Bearcats got two quick runs in the bottom of the first inning thanks to a two-RBI single from Maher.
The 2-0 lead held until the top of the fourth, as the Tigers put up three runs in the inning.
A Paige Parker two-RBI double highlighted the inning for the Blue Tigers. Gilson came up big for the Bearcats in the bottom of the fourth, as she hit a solo home run to left field to tie the score back at three.
Moses gave the Bearcats a 4-3 lead with an sacrifice fly in the inning, which scored Jessica Rawie.
Weis took over in the circle again for the final two innings, taking over for Holly Posegate this time. She held the Blue Tigers in check.
Northwest’s bats caught fire in the sixth once again as Maher, Weis, Rawie, and Karli Allen all tallied RBI.
Weis highlighted the inning with a three-RBI double. Rawie contributed a two-RBI double.
Posegate took the win, tallying three strikeouts and two walks over four innings of work. She allowed three runs, all earned, on three hits.
Weis used the final two innings to record four strikeouts and one walk.
When the day ended, the do-it-all freshman utility player tallied three hits, three RBI and four strikeouts in the circle.
Weis said she appreciated the support from her teammates.
“My teammates were helping me out a lot,” she said. “Coming into that situation was a tough one, so having my teammates behind me was really important. Getting this win brings us closer as a team. It gets our confidence up a little bit. We can only go up from here.”
Northwest hosts Lindenwood in a doubleheader on Friday. The first pitch for Game 1 is set for 1 p.m.
DAVID MERRILL/DAILY FORUM
Northwest Missouri State University’s Chantel Adams fires the ball to first base after fielding a grounder in Game 1 of the Bearcats’ double header against Lincoln on Thursday. Adams went 2-for-3 with two RBI and scored three runs.
DAVID MERRILL/DAILY FORUM
Northwest Missouri State University’s Karli Allen gets the barrel to the ball during Game 2 of the doubleheader against Lincoln on Thursday. Allen went 1-for-3 with an RBI in the contest, and the Bearcats won 11-3.
