ST. JOSEPH – Griffon Softball went 1-1 Friday in a doubleheader of the preseason No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the MIAA.

Central Oklahoma, (19-14, 8-4) picked to defend their 2017 conference title, took game one 3-2 on a run in the seventh. Missouri Western (15-18, 6-2), picked second in the preseason poll, took game two, 5-4. Riley Wilson delivered the game winner in game two with an RBI-single in the fifth. Kaili Hinds hung on for her second straight victory, going all seven innings and allowing four earned runs on eight hits.

Missouri Western was down 2-0 in game one headed to the bottom of the sixth, but a two-run home run from Lonnie Groves tied the game. Game two took a comeback as well. The Griffons scored four in the second, but two UCO runs in the third and two more in the fourth set up Wilson’s game winning hit in the fifth.

NOTABLES
– Missouri Western has won eight of its last nine games after its seven-game win streak was snapped with the game one loss

– Wilson went 3-for-6 in the doubleheader with the one important RBI

– Morgan Frost went 3-for-8 in the doubleheader with a double and an RBI

– Shelby Uhl was also 3-for-8 on the day with two driven in

– The teams each had seven runs, with Missouri Western totaling 16 hits and UCO totaling 14

– There were only five strikeouts combined in the two games. Hinds struck out two in game two. The Griffons struck out twice in game one and just once in game two

UP NEXT
Six straight road games beginning with a doubleheader on March 27 at Northwest Missouri State lie ahead for Missouri Western. After Friday, the Griffons are tied for second in the MIAA standings with the Bearcats. The Griffons are scheduled to end next week with trips to Central Missouri and Southwest Baptist.

— MWSU Athletics —