JOPLIN, Mo. – After a narrow defeat in game one, the Missouri Western softball team (7-8) exploded for nine runs in a run-rule victory in game two of a doubleheader against Northern State (11-3) on Sunday morning.
The Griffons went 4-1 at the Teri Mathis-Zenner Memorial Tournament hosted by Missouri Southern. Missouri Western outscored its opponents 28-7 in the five games played in Joplin over the weekend with two shutouts.
GAME 1
Northern State 2, MWSU 1
After suffering her first loss of the season on Saturday to Missouri Southern, Northern State pitcher Meghan Anderson held the Griffons to just three hits in a complete game victory that pushed her record to 7-1 on the season.
Anderson retired the first nine Griffons she faced before Brea Blanton broke up the perfect game attempt with a leadoff single in the fourth. Blanton scored MWSU's only run of the game two batters later after a Lauren Houston sacrifice bunt and a fielding error that allowed Rachel Stewart to reach and Blanton to score from second.
In the bottom of the sixth, Blanton had another leadoff single then stole second. After Lauren Houston walked to put the go-ahead run at first, Stewart popped up to short and Blanton was doubled off. Houston got into scoring position, but a line out ended MWSU's last scoring threat.
Kaili Hinds (3-2) pitched all seven innings for the Griffs. She scattered nine Northern State runs, walking four and striking out four. Blanton had two of the team's three hits. Sydni Hawkins had the other.
GAME 2
MWSU 9, Northern State 0 (5 Inn.)
The Griffs scored three runs each in the first, third and fourth innings while Kelly Uthe held the Wolves to just three hits in her four innings of work.
An Emma Hoffart triple scored Houston to put MWSU up 1-0 four batters into the game. Markee Brown drove in two more with a single up the middle to give the Griffs three in the first. The first five Griffs reached in the third, scoring two on a Taylor Hoelscher single and one on a throwing error. Sydni Hawkins drove in one with a single and Uthe drove in two with a double in the fourth.
Hoffart and Brown had three hits each with Hoffart scoring three runs and Brown driving in two. Hawkins and Hoelscher each had two hits and Hoelscher added two RBIs. Uthe retired the first eight she faced before allowing a two-out single in the third. Northern State added its two other hits in the fourth. Olivia Goodale relieved Uthe after four innings and pitched a perfect fifth with one strikeout.
UP NEXT
Missouri Western plays its first MIAA games of the season on March 6 at Northwest Missouri State.
--- MWSU Athletics ---