Press Release

March 15, 2009

Conner's Grand Slam Provides Split with Central

Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Trevor Conner hit his first home run of the season over the right field fence with bases loaded for his first career grand slam and drove in the four Bearcats runs that held for a 4-3 victory against No. 9 Central Missouri in the second game of today's doubleheader at Bearcat Field.

The two teams needed to go 11 innings in game one before Chance Tuttle hit a two-out single to drive in the winning run for a 3-2 Central Missouri win.

Both teams traded runs in the first and fifth innings of game one. Nick Pfeiffer used his first pitch of the game in the first inning to record his third home of the season while Tim Beck used a left field single to drive in Jared Erspamer in the fifth.

Bret Harvel made a season-best 6.2-inning appearance and stuck out five batters, allowed three hits and two runs. Jacob Kemper threw back-to-back strikeouts in the bottom of the 10th inning with bases loaded as the Bearcat pitching staff combined for nine strikeouts in the game.

Chris Matlock earned the win for Central Missouri and extended his scoreless inning streak to 35.1 innings to set the MIAA record held by former Bearcat hurler Brett Jones. Jones went 34 innings from March 5-30, 2002.

Brandon Kirsch singled to right field to start the second inning of game two and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Chris Benham. Kreed Kurtz singled on a 0-2 count and advanced Kirsch to third before MarhkCarey walked Matt Stice to bring up Conner, who swung on his first pitch for the grand slam.

Central Missouri answered with a pair of runs in the sixth inning and added another in the seventh inning. The Mules had the bases loaded in the seventh before Danny Malone earned a called strike three on Jon Wegener's full count for the third out.

Eric Mitchell picked up his first win of the season in five innings with two strikeouts, two runs and three hits. Malone earned his first save this season in two innings of work with a pair of strikeouts.

Up Next: Northwest and Central Missouri play another 1 p.m. doubleheader tomorrow (March 16) at Bearcat Field.