Baseball wins 3 games against rival Northwest

By Matt Gleaves

The Missouri Western baseball team won three out of four critical MIAA games from rival Northwest last weekend.
In the first game of the series, the Griffons struggled at the plate as they only scored one run through the first eight innings of the game. In the eighth inning, Tony Loeffler delivered a pinch hit RBI single to tie the game up at two.

With the Griffons tied up with Northwest at two late in the eighth inning, head coach Buzz Verduzco put on a suicide squeeze that was executed perfectly by Andrew Piper. Piper laid down a bunt down the first base line that he was able to beat out on the play and allow Mac Collette to score and give the Griffons the lead at 3-2.

Jake Graham belts a pitch from a Northwest pitcher during their four game series this past weekend.

“I just had this feeling that we were going to be able to pull the game out, especially with all the momentum we had coming into this game,” Piper said.

One run was all Brandon Simmons would need to shut the door on the Bearcats as they take the game 3-2.

Simmons pitched a complete game, allowing eight hits and striking out 10 in the victory.

In a double header on Saturday, the Griffons would keep their momentum as they swept both games from Northwest.

In the first game of the day, Ollie Kadey continued where Simmons left off on Friday night. Kadey would go the distance in a complete game victory as he scattered five hits and gave up just one run.

In the second game of the day, Ian Atkinson continued his hot hitting as he went 2-3 with two RBI’s in the game.
Western’s Nick Jurado continued the dominant pitching as he went all seven innings in the contest as he shut out the Bearcats, giving up three hits and striking out four.

“This isn’t what you expect in a four game series,” Verduzco said. “We only used three pitchers in three games and you just don’t expect that.”

In the series finale, Northwest was able to avoid a four game sweep of the series with a 3-1 victory over the Griffons.

“From the first inning I could tell that we just didn’t seem to have it today,” Verduzco said.

Loeffler provided the lone bright spot for the Griffons as he delivered an RBI base hit in the second inning.

Western improves to 13-11 overall and 12-7 in the MIAA after the series.