Box Score

Bolivar, Mo. - The Southwest Baptist University baseball team picked up a 17-6 run rule victory over Northwest Missouri on Friday afternoon in Bolivar. With the win the Bearcats clinch their fourth straight series victory and move to 26-11 (16-8 MIAA) on the season.

Northwest Missouri again jumped on top of the top of the first inning, taking a 1-0 lead after a half inning of play. Southwest Baptist responded in the bottom half of the inning by plating four runs to take a 4-1 lead. Caleb Sneed led the game off with a walk, followed one out later by a Hunter Hisky walk. SBU plated their first run of the game on a NWMSU wild pitch, tying the game 1-1. Sean Murley then drew the third SBU walk of the inning, followed by a three-run homerun from Nelson Muniz to give SBU a 4-1 lead.

After a 1-2-3 top of the second, Southwest Baptist went back to work in the bottom half of the inning. Clint Jack led the inning off with a single to center field, followed by a double down the left field line by Sneed to put runners on second and third. Chance Wolfe then hit a two-rbi single up the middle to extend the lead to 6-1. NWMSU again had a scoreless inning before SBU extend their lead in the bottom of the third. Cody Massey led the inning off with a single, followed by a walk from Blake Hobbs. After a sacrifice moved both runners up, Wolfe drew a walk coupled with a wild pitch to plate Massey. Hisky was then hit by a pitch, and a bases loaded walk from Murley gave SBU an 8-1 lead.

Southwest Baptist went back to work after a scoreless fourth to once again extend their lead in the fifth. Sneed opened up the inning with a walk, followed two batters later by a double from Hisky to place runners on second and third. Murley then hit a two-rbi triple to center field to give SBU a 10-1 lead. NWMSU responded with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth, cutting the SBU lead to 10-3, before SBU got one back in the bottom half of the inning. Masey led the inning off with a single to center field, and advanced to third on a fielding error by NWMSU. Masey then came home on a sacrifice fly by Hobbs to give SBU an 11-3 lead. NWMSU would plate three runs in the third, but rbi singles from Sneed and Wolfe pushed the SBU lead back to 13-6. Hisky then doubled to right field, scoring both Sneed and Wolfe before a run rule walk-off homerun from Muniz gave SBU a 17-6 victory.

Andrew Meier continued his string of strong starts, throwing 6.1 innings allowing three runs with four strikeouts to pick up the victory. Nelson Muniz hit a pair of homeruns to go along with 5 rbi, while Chance Wolfe and Sean Murley had 3 rbi each. Caleb Sneed scored a game high 3 runs, while Hunter Hisky went 3-4 with 3 runs and 2 rbi.

Southwest Baptist will return to action on Saturday, April 15 for the final game of the three-game series against Northwest Missouri. Opening pitch is set for 1:00 p.m. from Dodson Field.