ST. JOSEPH – The Missouri Western softball team opened the MIAA and home portions of its schedules with a doubleheader sweep of Northeastern State that saw the Griffons keep the RiverHawks off the scoreboard.

Game 1: MWSU 1, Northeastern State 0 (10 innings)

In an unconventional, walk-off victory, Janie Smith moved to 7-3, shutting out Northeastern State for 10 innings. Emilie Laliberte scored on an illegal pitch with one out in the bottom of the 10th to end what seemed like a game that might go on forever. Laliberte was placed at second to lead off the inning as part of International tiebreaker rules. She moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Kailey Green and scored with Katie Klosterman at the plate.

Smith kept Northeastern off the plate, allowing seven hits and walking six. Northeastern State stranded 11 base runners. Smith also struck out nine. No Griffon had more than one hit in the game, totaling just three on Kayce Wooldridge.

Game 2: MWSU 8, Northeastern State 0 (6 innings)

The Griffons had little trouble scoring in game two and got another shutout performance in the circle, this time from Shyanne Saladino.

Missouri Western touched RiverHawk pitching for 12 hits in less than six complete innings. Morgan Rathmann went 3-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Taylor Hamilton was 2-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Katie Klosterman was 2-4 at the plate with three driven in. Saladino allowed just two hits, walking one and striking out two.

Sydney Washington drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth, the Griffons’ third run of the inning. Missouri Western scored two in the first and one each in the second, fourth and fifth.

With the win, Missouri Western improved to 12-6 on the year and 2-0 in MIAA play. The Griffons host No. 12 Central Oklahoma Saturday in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.

— MWSU Athletics —