EMPORIA, Kan. – The No. 15 Missouri Western softball team capped an MIAA championship season with a doubleheader sweep of Emporia State Saturday, winning 7-3 and 2-1 to finish the regular season 39-11 overall and 23-3 in the MIAA.

Game 1: #15 MWSU 7, Emporia State 3

Janie Smith held off an attempt at a two-out, seventh inning rally to win her 20th game of the season, a new season-high for the senior.

Smith had limited Emporia State to four hits, never more than one in an inning and retired the first two batters in the bottom of the seventh. The next four Hornets reached, scoring three runs before Smith forced a pop up to end the game. She allowed the three runs on seven hits, struck out one and walked two. Her defense did not commit an error behind her.

Megan Korgie put the Griffons up 2-0 in the second with a line drive single to right that popped out of the diving right fielder’s glove to allow two runs to score. Kailey Green made it 3-0 in the fifth with a sacrifice fly that drove in Morgan Rathmann. The Griffons tacked on four more in the sixth. Rathmann started the scoring in the sixth with an RBI single. Two batters later, Shelbie Atwell drove in two more with a single. A Paige Shifflett double drove in Atwell for Missouri Western’s seventh and final run.

Rathmann was 3-4 on the day with an RBI and two runs scored. Sydney Washington also scored twice and went 2-2 at the plate. Atwell was 2-4 with two RBIs and a run scored.

Game 2: #15 MWSU 2, Emporia State 1

Shyanne Saladino limited Emporia State to just one run on five hits and got enough from her offense to complete the sweep.

Saladino went the distance, giving up the five hits while striking out one and walking one. Emporia State scored its only run in the bottom of the second. Missouri Western answered in the top of the third with Shelbie Atwell drove in Rathmann with a double to left center. Kailey Green put the Griffons up for good in the fourth with the only home run of the day and her 14th on the season.

Rathmann added three more hits in game two, going 3-4 with a run scored. No other Griffon had more than one hit.

Missouri Western is the top seed in the MIAA Tournament and will play No. 8 seed Southwest Baptist Thursday at 5:00 p.m. in the first round.  The Tournament will be play at ASA Hall of Fame Softball Complex in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma this season.  All games games be will be broadcast live on ESPN 1550 or 680 KFEQ.

— MWSU Athletics —