The Missouri Western softball team had its offense come alive on the final day of the 8-State Classic scoring 19 runs and getting 24 hits in two victories. The Griffons defeated Minnesota State-Mankato 9-4 and Illinois-Springfield 10-5 improving to 7-3 on the season and going 5-1 in the classic.
Game 1
MWSU 9, Minnesota State 4
In the first game of the day the Griffons got 11 hits in the contest which led to a 9-4 victory over the Mavericks. Tiffany Gillaspy and Michelle Stevenson both hit homers in the victory.
Things looked good early for the Griffons scoring the first four runs of the game. The Griffons got on the board in the second when Brooke Schaben led off with a single and later scored on a Kat Steponovich single to right field giving the Griffons the 1-0 lead. The Griffons tacked on another in the 3rd when Gillaspy homered to left center giving Missouri Western the 2-0 lead.
Once again in the 4th the Griffons put runs on the board. With one out Morgan Rathmann got hit by a pitch then stole second and scored on a two run homer by Stevenson giving the Griffons the 4-0 lead after four.
The score stayed that way until the 6th when the Mavericks finally got to Jackie Bishop. The Mavericks got a two RBI double by Anna Cole and an RBI single by Kelly Wood cutting the Griffons lead to 4-3.
The Griffons stayed calm and in the sixth they exploded for five runs in four hits. Singles by Fleschner and Stevenson scored the first two runs of the inning. A passed ball scored Fleschner before Kailey Green got two RBI on a single giving the Griffons the 9-3 lead after six.
The Mavericks got one more run in the sixth but would not get any closer as Bishop improves to 4-1 on the season. Bishop went all seven innings giving up seven hits while striking out 11. She did not give up a run as they were all unearned. The single she gave up in the fifth was the first hit by her opponents 12 innings and the runs in the 6th were the first runs scored on her in 23 innings. She has not given up an earned run in 25 innings.
Four Griffons got two hits in the game as Stevenson knocked in three and scored two runs. Rathmann went 2-for-2 with two runs scored while Fleshner and Schaben were the other Griffons with two hits.
Coley Ries got the loss for MSU going 5.1 innings giving up 10 hits and eight earned runs with four strikeouts. MSU had seven hits with Samantha Holien and Kelly Wood each getting two. The Mavericks fall to 2-6 with the loss.
Game 2
MWSU 10, Illinois-Springfield 5
In game two the Griffons offense stayed hot getting 13 more hits. Green led the charge with three hits and four RBI. Stevenson and Gillaspy each had two hits while pitcher Janie Smith helped herself out with two hits and two RBI.
The Griffons jumped all over the PrairieStars scoring five runs on six hits in the first inning. After a walk leading off the game by Fleschner the Griffons got four straight singles scoring their first three runs. Smith and Rathmann got the Griffons final two hits which both scored runs for the Griffons. After a half inning the Griffons led 5-0.
Illinois-Springfield did not get rattled as they took advantage of a walk and a Griffon error scoring four runs on two hits. Chelsea Minor’s single to right center scored two of the four runs.
In the 2nd the Griffons extended their lead by one when Gillaspy hit her second homer of the day giving MWSU the 6-4 lead after two. The Griffons scored another run in the 4th on two hits. Green singled in Stevenson giving Missouri Western the 7-4 lead after four innings.
In the 5th the bats continued to stay hot as Smith hit her first career homer to center field and then Rathmann scored on a double by Fleschner opening up a 9-4 lead after four and a half innings of play. Once again USI responded when Minor scored on a single by Molly Manietta which cut the lead to 9-5 after five.
The Griffons tacked on more on in the 7th and Smith shut UIS down in the 7th giving MWSU the five run victory.
Smith improves to 3-2 on the season going all seven inning giving up eight hits while striking out two.
UIS falls to 3-2 on the season while Alex Smith falls to 1-2 going all seven inning giving up 13 hits and nine earned runs with four strike outs. Minor led the way with two hits, two runs scored and two RBI for UIS.
The Griffons return to action next weekend when they take part in the St. Cloud State Dome Tournament. The Griffons open up the weekend on Friday, February 21 with a game against Concordia-St. Paul at 1:00 pm.
— MWSU Sports Information —