ST. JOSEPH – The 18th-ranked Missouri Western softball team two games to open the 2017 Hy-Vee Classic on Friday at the Griffon Spring Sports Complex.

The Griffons (20-4) dispatched of Northern State 6-5 and run-ruled Sioux Falls 12-4 in six innings.

NOTABLES
– Shelbie Atwell’s solo home run in the bottom of the sixth proved to be the game-winner against Northern State

– The Griffons were down 3-0 to Northern State in the first, but tied it in the bottom half thanks to a two-RBI single by Paige Shifflett and a double steal between Shifflett and Shelby Uhl with Uhl scoring the tying run

– MWSU was down 5-3 to Northern State in the third before

– Riley Wilson drove in Uhl on a fielder’s choice in the third and Katie Klosterman hit a solo home run to tie it in the fourth

– Missouri Western broke a team record with four triples in the Sioux Falls game

– On the day, the Griffons hit .368 with 10 extra base hits, slugging .719 and scoring 18 runs

TOP PERFORMERS
– Atwell went 4-for-7 at the plate (.571) on the day with a double, a home run and three RBIs

– Sydney Washington was 4-for-8 with a double, two triples, four RBIs and three runs scored

– Kailey Green went 3-for-6 with four RBIs, she hit a home run and her two-RBI double ended the game against Sioux Falls

– Shifflett was 3-for-6 at the plate with two RBIs

UP NEXT
Missouri Western continues play in the Hy-Vee Classic with Minnesota Duluth (13-7) at noon on Saturday and St. Cloud State (16-6) at approximately 2 p.m.

— MWSU Athletics —