ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Missouri Western softball head coach Jen Bagley Trotter said this year’s team could hit home runs, and through the team’s first three games, it looks like she’s right. Missouri Western scored seven runs on the day, six coming by way of the home run in sweeping two games in the Henderson State/Ouachita Baptist Ronnie Hawkins Invitational. MWSU has hit six homers through their first three games that have accounted for all but one of their nine runs.

Game 1: MWSU 2, Henderson State 0

The Griffons used two solo home runs Saturday morning to defeat Henderson State, 2-0. Paige Shifflett put MWSU on the board first when she led off the top of the second with a solo shot in her first-ever collegiate at bat. Tiffany Gillaspy added another home run in the third. The home runs were two of the Griffons seven hits on the game. Katie Klosterman was the only Griffon with more than one hit, going 2-3. Shifflett and Gillaspy’s homers were the only extra base hits for the team.

Shyanne Saladino went the distance in her first action as a Griffon. She picked up her first win, allowing six hits and no runs.

Game 2: Mississippi College 3, MWSU 5

The Griffons went to the long ball again to start off game two, scoring their first four runs on round trippers. Janie Smith put the Griffons on the board in the second with a solo shot then Tiffany Gillaspy pulled MWSU within one, at 3-2, with her solo homer in the fifth. Morgan Rathmann would make the Griffons first seven runs of the year on homers when she bombed a two-run shot to right center in the fifth. Missouri Western’s first run of the year off anything other than a home run came in the fifth when Paige Shifflett doubled home Gillaspy to score MWSU’s final run of the game.

Janie Smith fell behind 2-0 on two RBI singles by Mississippi College in the first. She locked down and allowed just one more for the game, going all seven innings and striking out seven to even her record at 1-1 on the year. Smith also went 2-3 at the plate driving in one. She was the only Griffon with more than one hit in the game.

Missouri Western wraps up the HSU/OBU Ronnie Hawkins Invitational tomorrow with two games. They take on Arkansa Monticello at 10 a.m. and play at Ouachita Baptist at 2 p.m.

— MWSU Sports Information —