ST. JOSEPH – The Missouri Western softball team needed at least one, and they got it on Saturday as the Griffons outstanding senior class ended its final regular season with a victory over Emporia State.

The doubleheader split, in all likelihood, clinched the Griffons’ spot in the MIAA Tournament. The seeding will not be released until April 24 after all games have been played. Missouri Western dropped game one, 6-2 after allowing six unanswered Hornet runs. The Griffs hit three home runs in 6-3 game two win. Morgan Rathmann tied the MIAA record with her 31st career triple in game two and broke her own MWSU record with the 10th of her senior season.

SENIORS CONTRIBUTE
Five of the six members of the 2017 senior class combined for six of Missouri Western’s eight hits on the day. They combined for five extra base hits and drove in four of the team’s eight runs. Rathmann led the way, going 3-for-6 in her final home doubleheader. Megan Korgie continued her clutch stretch, driving in the Griffons’ first runs of both games.

HOME RUN POWER CONTINUES
Three different Griffons homered in the series, including senior Katie Klosterman and Kailey Green. It gave the team 18 home runs over its last 14 games. Klosterman hit four of those with Sydney Washington and Green each hitting three.

RATHMANN BREAKS ANOTHER
The senior outfielder broke her third record of the season when she led off the third with her 10th triple of the season. Rathmann has 28 triples in her last three seasons and the 31 she has in her career tried an MIAA record.

THE WAITING GAME
While Missouri Western is essentially secured a spot in the MIAA Tournament, weather will hold off the announcement of the bracket and seeding until Monday. The Griffons ended the weekend tied for fourth in the standings with Northwest Missouri State. All three teams ahead of the Griffons have four games left to play leaving the door open for MWSU to finish as high as second.

UP NEXT
Missouri Western will next play April 27 at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City against an opponent to be announced.

— MWSU Athletics —