The Missouri Western softball team fell in a close extra inning battle in the first round of the NCAA Division II South Central Regional against Texas Woman’s University. The Pioneers scored an unearned run in the top of the eighth earning the 4-3 victory. The Griffons fall to 42-12 with the loss. Western will play the loser of Angelo State and St. Edwards University in an elimination game tomorrow at 4:30 pm.
Things started well for the Griffons with Jackie Bishop setting the Pioneers down in order in the first and second innings. Bishop struckout four of the first eight Texas Woman’s batters.
In the bottom half of the first Western used a walk and an error by the Pioneer short stop putting runners on first and third. Western then pulled out the double steel with Blair Stalder stealing second and Bre Fleschner stealing home giving Western the 1-0 lead. Western loaded the bases with two outs but a foul out by Leah Steele ended the Griffons threat.
In the third inning Bishop battled out of a base loaded jam giving up just one run on two hits. Bailey Vrazel singled up the middle which scored pinch runner Haley Leopold from second base. Bishop got Katie Hines to pop up back to her ending the inning.
In the fourth Maegan Roemmich singled up the middle with one out but a ground out by Fleschner and a pop up to right by Sarah Elliott ended the fourth for Western.
In the fifth Bishop got the first two Pioneers out but a single up the middle by Tiffany Weise and homer by Katie Hines gave TWU the 3-1 lead after five and a half. Western answered in their half of the fifth as Stalder led off with single and then scored on a Steele double down the left field line with two outs. Unfortunately Taylor Anding got tossed out at third ending the fifth for Western.
In the top of the sixth inning Bishop got the first batter out and walked Sarah Wittenburg before lightening suspended play at 5:56 pm. When the game resumed at 6:50 pm the Griffons stranded one runner on base heading to the bottom of the sixth inning.
In the sixth pinch hitter Tiffany Gillaspy led off with a double to right center and then scored on a two out single by Sarah Elliott tying the game at three after six. Bishop stranded two Pioneers in the seventh escaping a triple by Addison Staley that went off the glove of Griffon center fielder Kendall Sorenson.
In the seventh for the Griffons, Sorenson hit a one out double to center field but was stranded at second. In the seventh a throwing error by Elliot allowed the Pioneers to take the lead. Western flied out three times in the eighth ending the game.
The Pioneers improve to 37-15 on the year and will take on the winner of Saint Edwards and Angelo State at 2:00 pm tomorrow afternoon.
Western had eight hits with Stalder and Sorenson both getting two hits. Western left 10 runners on base. Jackie Bishop falls to 24-5 on the season as she walked a career high five batters while striking out nine.
The Pioneers had seven hits and also left 10 on base. Vrazel had two hits and one RBI while Katie Hines had two RBI while scoring one run and getting one hit. Larisa Garcia improves to 13-7 on the season walking six and striking out two.
— MWSU Sports Information —