ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The Missouri Western softball team’s bats played Jekyll and Hide in a split on day two at the Henderson State/Ouachita Baptist Ronnie Hawkins Memorial. Missouri Western plated 14 in a win against Arkansas-Monticello but mustered just one hit in an 8-0 loss to co-host Ouachita Baptist. The team now sits at 3-2 on the season.

Game 1: MWSU 14, Arkansas-Monticello 0 (5 innings)

The Griffons used a 12-run fourth inning to power themselves to a 14-0 win in five innings over Arkansas Monticello Sunday morning.

In their highest offensive output of the season, Missouri Western used just two home runs in the 14-run barrage. Coming into the game, MWSU had scored all but one run via the long ball, but in this one, the Griffons relied on two singles and a wild pitch to get things going.

An RBI single by Paige Shifflett in the first got the scoring going. Missouri Western added another in the first when Sydney Washington scored on a wild pitch. Shifflett drove in two more on a single to open the scoring in the fourth. Then MWSU got back to their 2015 ways. Kailey Green brought Washington and Shifflett in with a three-run shot to center in the fourth. One batter later, Shelbie Atwell cranked her first round tripper of the year to right center. The Griffons added five more in the inning on a pair of two RBI singles from Green and Tiffany Gillaspy and Morgan Rathmann scored on an error.

Green finished with a five RBI game, all coming in the fourth as she went 3-5. Gillaspy also had a three hit day, going 3-4 with three runs scored and two RBIs. As a team, the Griffons had 16 hits and 12 RBIs. Shyanne Saladino picked up her second win of the season, going all five innings and allowing four hits, while walking two and striking out three.

Game 2: Ouachita Baptist 8, MWSU 0 (6 innings)

The Griffon bats struggled to wake up while Ouachita Baptist found the plate often in an 8-0 loss for MWSU.

Ouachita Baptist scored one in the first, added two in the second then jumped out to a 7-0 lead after a four-run fourth. Taylor Schaben replaced Janie Smith in the circle after OBU’s first two runs in the fourth. Smith went three innings and was charged with seven earned runs on 10 hits. Schaben was effective in her first pitching action of the season, going two and two thirds and striking out one, while allowing one unearned run.

At the plate, Missouri Western mustered just one hit and entered the seventh with one. Macy Nantz retired the first 11 Griffons she faced before Sydney Wasington singled in the fourth.

Missouri Western returns to The Natural State next weekend for six games in three days in the UAM 8-State Classic to be played in Bentonville, Arkansas.

— MWSU Sports Information —