Box Score

Bolivar, Mo. - The Southwest Baptist University baseball team had their offense clicking on Saturday afternoon, collecting 17 hits and 10 runs, but it wasn't enough as the Bearcats fell to the Riverhawks of Northeastern State 10-11.

The Bearcats came out of the gate looking to score, as they put two runs on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning. After a leadoff single by Landon Young, Ross Wolfe doubled to left center to put runs on second and third for Drew Miller. Miller singled to right field, plating both Young and Wolfe, to put SBU up 2-0. Northeastern State would score nine unanswered runs heading to the bottom of the sixth with a 2-9 lead.

However the Bearcats never let up. In the bottom of the fifth inning, with a runner on first, Ross Wolfe hit is first homerun of the year to put SBU down 4-9. Northeastern State was quick to respond with a run of their own in the top half of the next inning, but the Bearcats continued to push. After a Spencer Blacksher single to left field, Kyle Jochems blasted his second homerun of the year to leftfield to put SBU down 6-10. After a single, walk, and sacrifice bunt, Landon Young hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Josh Herrick. Aaron Anderson would score a couple of pitchers later on a wild pitch to pull SBU within two at 8-10.

In the bottom of the seventh Bo Helsel led off the inning with a single to right field, and two batters later Jochems doubled to centerfield to put runners on second and third. Helsel came home off of a Herrick groundout to put SBU down one at 9-10. The Bearcats would tie the game up one inning later when Wolfe singled to centerfield to bring home Will Swofford. However Northeastern State would score a run in the top half of the ninth inning, as SBU fell 10-11.

Ross Wolfe led the Bearcats offensive attack by going 5-5 with two runs scored, three rbi, a homerun and a pair of doubles. Jochems also homered for SBU and drove in two runs, along with Miller who had a pair of rbi, while Young, Helsel, and Swofford all collected multiple hits for the Bearcats.

"I thought today was bigger than today," head coach Chris Martin stated. "I thought it was more about our program and where it is going to be in two months, where it will be in two years, who can be a part of it, and who can't be a part of it. We started the day talking about competing. I am really proud of our effort. We never gave up. We battled to the end and we competed defensively for the first time all year. If our guys will give that effort consistently they will be winners not only here, but in life."

The Bearcats will return to action on Tuesday, March 12 when they host Lindenwood. The doubleheader is set to begin at 12:00 p.m. from Dodson Field in Bolivar.