Northwest baseball sweeps SBU

By Phil Cobb | April 18, 2016 |

DALTON VITT/DAILY FORUM
Northwest junior third baseman James Holler swings at a pitch on Friday against Southwest Baptist. The Bearcats came up with a three-game sweep at home over the weekend.

MARYVILLE, Mo. — The Northwest baseball team swept Southwest Baptist over the weekend in MIAA action.

A 3-2 win on Friday began the three-game series, followed by a 7-4 win on Saturday and a 7-5 victory for Northwest on Sunday to round out the action.

On Friday, Northwest walked off in the bottom of the 10th on a wild pitch with junior second baseman Ozzie Adams darting home for the win. Catcher Jake Lewis and left fielder Kolby Greenslade each hit doubles in the victory, while sophomore Joseph Hietpas started and went 5.2 innings while allowing two runs.

Nikko Pablo and closer Carson Smith finished the final 4.1 innings combined by allowing just two hits and zero runs.

Saturday saw Northwest score two runs in the fourth inning and three in the fifth to put away Southwest Baptist behind senior shortstop Nick Gotta going 2-for-4 with a double, a triple and two runs.

Northwest tallied two runs in the bottom of the first inning on Sunday to quickly jump ahead before piling on five more in the third frame. Freshman designated hitter Jay Hrdlicka finished 3-for-4 with two RBI and junior third baseman James Holler smashed his team-leading sixth home run of the season.

Northwest (21-17, 16-12) faces Missouri Western at 7 p.m. Tuesday in St. Joseph for the second game of a stretched-out three-game series.

DALTON VITT/DAILY FORUM
Second baseman Ozzie Adams puts the ball in play to the right side during the Bearcats’ three-game sweep against Southwest Baptist.

DALTON VITT/DAILY FORUM
Sophomore starting pitcher Joseph Hietpas started Northwest’s three-game sweep on a high note Friday against Southwest Baptist by putting together a quality start.

DALTON VITT/DAILY FORUM
Bearcats catcher Jake Lewis swatted a double on Friday against Southwest Baptist in a 3-2 win, the start of a three-game sweep.

DALTON VITT/DAILY FORUM
Senior shortstop Nick Gotta gathers after a bobble in the field to gun the runner down at first base on Friday, a 3-2 victory against Southwest Baptist.

DALTON VITT/DAILY FORUM
Bearcats junior center fielder Garrett Fort charges toward home on a ground ball on the infield, beating the throw in a 3-2 win against Southwest Baptist on Friday at home.