MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Missouri Western softball team saw its 16-game win streak snapped Tuesday but got out of Maryville with a split against Northwest Missouri State.  The Griffons lost game one 9-6 but bounced back to win the second game 2-0.

GAME 1: Northwest Missouri State 9, MWSU 6

An impressive comeback effort came up short as Northwest Missouri scored three in the bottom of the sixth to snap the Griffons’ 16-game win streak with a 9-6 win in game one.

Trailing 6-1 after three innings, MWSU scored three in the fifth and to in the sixth to tie the game at six apiece. A leadoff single, a walk and some defensive miscues led to three Northwest Missouri State runs in the bottom of the sixth that propelled the Bearcats to the win.

Missouri Western pulled within three in the fifth on a wild pitch that allowed Tiffany Gillaspy to score and a Paige Shifflett that drove Sydney Washingon home. The Griffons added one more in the inning when Shelbie Atwell grounded into a fielder’s choice. On the play, the Northwest shortstop was charged with obstruction, allowing Shifflett to score as the Bearcats ran for the dugout thinking the third out had been recorded. Gillaspy pushed the team’s fifth run across in the sixth on an error by the shortstop and Shifflett tied it with a two-out double off the left field wall.

Taylor Schaben picked up her first loss of the season, relieving starter Janie Smith. Schaben went four innings, allowing three runs – just one earned – on two hits. Shifflett finished game one 2-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Katie Klosterman was also 2-4.

GAME 2: MWSU 2, Northwest Missouri St. 0

Shyanne Saladino pitched her second straight one-hit shutout as the Griffons salvaged the split with a 2-0 win in game two.

The Griffons got the only two runs they needed in the fourth inning on solo home runs from Gillaspy and Shifflett. Gillaspy hit her 12th of the season on the first pitch of the inning and Shifflett gave MWSU a 2-0 lea two batters later with a solo shot to center field. Saladino was nearly unhittable, going all seven innings and allowing just one hit to the second batter of the game. She struck out five and walked two.

Missouri Western leaves Maryville with a 26-10 record. They travel to Fort Hays State for a doubleheader on Friday and Nebraska-Kearney on Sunday.

— MWSU Sports Information —