ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The Missouri Western softball team got back to a winning record with a doubleheader sweep of Southwest Baptist in the team’s home opener.

GAME 1: MWSU 1, SBU 0

Missouri Western broke a scoreless tie in the fourth with a two-out RBI single from Katie Klosterman and scored the only run they needed in a 1-0 shutout from Janie Smith.

Smith went the distance, allowing just two SBU hits, three walks and seven strikeouts. Smith moved to 5-5 on the year. Behind Smith, the Griffon defense was flawless, committing zero errors. Offensively, the Griffons picked up six hits on Kacey Ayers but couldn’t string hits together to create many scoring threats.

Tiffany Gillaspy had two of MWSU’s hits, finishing 2-3. Sydney Washington, Kailey Green, Megan Korgie and Klosterman had the other Griffon hits.

GAME 2: MWSU 10, SBU 1 (5 innings)

The Griffons jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first and tacked on three more in the fourth on two home runs to take game two and complete the sweep, 10-1 in five innings.

Missouri Western batted around in the first with Paige Shifflett’s RBI single up the middle giving the Griffons a 1-0 lead. Morgan Rathmann capped off the inning with a three-RBI double to left center that put MWSU up 7-0. Tiffany Gillaspy put MWSU up 8-1 in the fourth with a solo home run and after Sydney Washington singled, Shifflett hit a two-run home run to left center that gave the Griffons a 10-1 lead.

Shyanne Saladino picked up the win in the circle, going all five innings and allowing three hits. Saladino moved to 6-4 on the year, while the Griffons moved to 11-9 and 4-2 in MIAA play. The Griffons will play the first two of 10 games next week when they host Southeastern Oklahoma State in Emporia, Kansas on Monday.

— MWSU Sports Information —