By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
TOPEKA, KS - The Missouri Western softball team overcame a three-run deficit, and grabbed a lead in the ninth inning, but No. 9 ranked and defending national champion Rogers State outlasted the Griffons 6-5 in 11 innings in the opening round of the MIAA softball tournament in Topeka Wednesday night.
The Griffons (35-19) were outhit in the game 15-8, but were able to score a pair of unearned runs off of three Rogers State errors.
Missouri Western trailed 3-0 at the end of the first and then 4-2 after the third, but the Griffons tied it at 4-4, thanks to a two-run homerun to centerfield by Bubba Hoelscher.
The game remained tied at 4-4 up until the top of the ninth. With the game now in extra innings, Missouri Western's Jada Collins got on with a one-out double to deep left.
Collins was eventually brought home on a sac fly from Kennedy Preston, giving Missouri Western their first lead of the game at 5-4.
That lead was short lived though, as Rogers State's Bridget Morales blasted a single shot homer over the centerfield fence to knot the game again at 5-5.
The Griffons were held to just one hit through the 10th and 11th innings combined and were unable to reclaim the lead.
Rogers, who left the bases loaded in the 8th inning, and stranded runners on second and third to end the 10th, finally came through in the bottom of the 11th.
With Morales on second base after a double, Abbey Rogers brought her home in the next at-bat with a walk-off RBI single to center, lifting the Hillcats to a 6-5 victory.
The Griffons fell, despite a solid 7.1 innings of relief from freshman pitcher Harley Pruetting. She struck out eight batters and walked three, while allowing 10 hits and two earned runs.
Jade Sanders tossed 7.1 innings of relief for the Hillcats, striking out seven, walking four and allowing just one earned run.
Kennedy Preston scored two runs for Missouri Western, while Hoelscher led the way with two RBIs. The Griffons stranded 12 baserunners in the loss, but Rogers State stranded 11 on base themselves.
Missouri Western, the No. 6 seed in the double elimination MIAA tournament, now faces No. 7 seed Emporia State (33-22) in an elimination game on Thursday at 1:30 p.m.
The game will be broadcast live on St. Joseph Post with coverage starting at 1 p.m. LISTEN LIVE HERE.
Joe Yegge postgame interview
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