MARYVILLE, Mo. — An early lead for Northwest Missouri State did not last on Thursday, as Griffon Baseball scored nine-straight runs to take game one of this weekend's series 9-2 at Bearcat Baseball Field.

Trey Morris homered to give the Bearcats a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, which ended up opening the floodgates for Missouri Western's offense. After a Brenden Andersen sacrifice fly in the third cut the deficit to 2-1, Hunter Olson effectively ended the game in the fifth, smashing a three-run home run to left field with Andersen and Jerry Nix on base, giving the Griffs a 4-2 lead. Cale Sackewitz tacked on another run in the fifth with a single to right that forced a throwing error by Ryan Koski, allowing Jayden Singleton to race home with the Griffons' fifth-straight run.

An Andersen RBI double continued MWSU's run in the sixth, plating Bryson McArn. An Olson RBI single brought home Andersen, and a Will Courtney RBI rifle to right did the same for Olson, ending Thursday's scoring and giving the Griffons a 9-2 lead that stayed true to the end. Pitcher Samson Holcomb finished up a quality start an inning later, throwing seven innings while only giving up two unearned runs on four hits. He struck out a season-high five batters in the win.

NOTABLES

• With the win, Holcomb picks up his first win of the season.
• Olson recorded a career-high four RBI.
• Singleton and Travis Wiese both racked up two doubles apiece, a career-high for both.

UP NEXT 
Missouri Western (8-25, 5-16 MIAA) and Northwest do battle again on Friday at 2 p.m. back at Bearcat Baseball Field.