Press Release

April 22, 2008

Late Inning Rally Beats Lopers

Box Score

KEARNEY, Neb. - The Northwest Missouri State baseball team rallied for two runs in the ninth, to push the game into extra innings, and added two more in the tenth to win 6-4 against Nebraska-Kearney. Ben Malick had the game tying RBI's and and Chris Benham the game winning RBI's as the Bearcats broke a six game losing streak.

Northwest moves to 23-20 and Nebraska-Kearney falls to 24-22.

The Bearcats fell down 3-0 early but got a solo home run from Ryan Bledsoe, his fifth of the season and third in the last four games, in the third to get on the scoreboard. The Lopers added a run in the fourth to lead 4-1.

An error helped Jake Bradshaw score in the fifth to cut the Lopers lead to two. The 4-2 score would remain until the ninth.

With two-outs and nobody on in the ninth, Benham and Bradshaw would reach on back-to-back errors and Bledsoe was issued a free pass to load the bases. Malick then sprayed a single to knot the game at four and give spectators bonus baseball in Kearney.

Two more unearned runs in the tenth helped Northwest grab a 6-4 lead, its first of the ball game, and Evan Nickell would close out the Lopers in the bottom half to earn the win.

After the victory, Nickell moves to 3-6 on the season. Bledsoe and Malcik both finished 2-for-4 with two RBI's and Nick Pfieffer had a two hit day at the plate. Bledsoe and Bradshaw each picked up a stolen base as the Northwest defense was perfect in the field.

UP NEXT: Northwest hosts Pittsburg State on Friday, April 25, at 3 p.m.