TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Missouri Western softball team opened its 2015 MIAA season with a doubleheader sweep at Northeastern State. Missouri Western jumped out to a 7-0 lead in game one before winning 7-1 and used a 10-run fifth inning to win a shortened game two, 12-3.
Game 1: MWSU 7, Northeastern State 1
The Griffons pounded out 14 hits and didn’t commit an error in the field while holding the RiverHawks scoreless through the first six innings.
MWSU got the scoring going in the third when Tiffany Gillaspy drove in Megan Korgie with a single to the pitcher. The Griffons added three more in the inning on a 2-RBI double by Paige Shifflett and a single from Katie Klostermann. Sydney Washington put MWSU up 6-0 in the fourth with a two-run home run and Morgan Rathmann made it 7-0 in the seventh with an RBI double to right center.
Janie Smith allowed her only run of the game on a leadoff home run in the bottom of the seventh. Smith moved to 4-4 on the year, holding Northeastern State to five hits, while striking out seven and walking two. Rathmann went 3-5 at the plate with two runs scored and an RBI. Green, Shelbie Atwell and Smith all finished with two hits apiece.
Game 2: MWSU 12, Northeastern State 3
The two teams entered the third tied at 0 but the Griffons scored 10 to take control of the game and the series. What turned out to be an offensive explosion started slowly enough when Shifflett was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Kailey Green followed that run with a grand slam to put MWSU up 5-0. Rebekah Mueller drove in two more with a double to center and Megan Korgie made it 8-0 when she scored on a wild pitch. Tiffany Gillaspy drove in the last two runs of the third with two-run home run.
Green added a solo homer in the fourth and finished the game 2-3 with five RBIs and three runs scored. Rathmann had another three hit game, going 3-4 and scoring three runs. Gillaspy finished game two with two hits in four at bats with two RBIs and two runs scored. Mueller was 2-3 with two RBIs and a run scored. Shyanne Saladino went all five innings and allowed just one earned run on five hits while striking out four.
With the wins, Missouri Western improved to 9-7 overall and 2-0 in MIAA play. They will play another doubleheader Sunday at Central Oklahoma.
— MWSU Sports Information —