The Missouri Western softball team split an MIAA doubleheader with the Pittsburg State Gorillas winning game one 3-2 in come from behind fashion before falling 6-2 in game two. The Griffons sit at 20-14 overall and 5-7 in MIAA play and will host the Missouri Southern Lions in a doubleheader on Sunday, March 30 at 1:00 pm in St. Joseph, Mo.
Game 1
MWSU 3
PSU 2
The Griffons scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning coming away with a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburg State Gorillas. This marked the first come from behind victory of the season for the Griffons.
The Griffons started slow as the Gorillas scored the first two runs of the game. In the 2nd inning MacKenzie Rynard blasted her ninth homer of the season giving PSU the 1-0 lead. They tacked on one more in the third inning as Cheslyn Mitchell doubled and then scored on a Tiffany Brown single up the middle giving the Gorillas the 2-0 lead.
The Griffons responded in the third with back-to-back hits from Taylor Anding and Michelle Stevenson leading off the inning. The two advanced on a passed ball and later Anding scored on a wile pitch cutting the lead to 2-1 after three.
The score remained that way until the sixth when Tiffany Gillaspy led off with her seventh homer of the season over the left field fence tying the score at two. Later in the inning Sydney Washington singled to left ans scored on a wild pitch giving the Griffons the 3-2 lead.
Jackie Bishop got the Griffons in the 7th improving to 13-6 on the season. She gave up five hits while striking out nine. The Griffons had eight hits with Washington, Anding and Stevenson all getting two.
The Gorillas had five hits while Kyle Harpst falls to 3-4 giving up eight hits while striking out three.
Game 2
PSU 6
MWSU 2
The nations leading home run hitter Tiffany Brown hurt the Griffons in game two blasting two three-run home runs giving the Gorillas a 6-2 victory. Brown smacked a homer in the first inning and another in the third.
The Griffons responded in the first inning scoring two runs on singles by Gillaspy that scored Bre Fleschner and then Gillaspy scored on an illegal pitch by Pittsburg State pitcher Samantha Grove.
The rest of the game the Griffons could not get a timely hit as they stranded nine runners in the contest.
The Griffons had seven hits with Gillaspy going 3-for-4 and Fleschner going 2-for-4. Janie Smith went all seven giving up five hits and five earned runs while striking out four.
The Gorillas sit at 16-16 overall and 3-7 in MIAA play. The Gorillas had five hits with Brown and Mitchell each getting two. Brown had six RBI. Grove got the victory for the Gorillas giving up seven hits and one earned run while striking out three.
— MWSU Sports Information —