The Missouri Western softball team ran their win streak to eight with a doubleheader sweep over the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats on Tuesday afternoon. In game one the Griffons got the 10th shutout from Jackie Bishop with a 6-0 victory and then in game two the Griffons scored all their runs with two outs getting a 5-4 victory. The Griffons improve to 28-14 overall with the victory.

Game 1
MWSU 6
NWMSU 0
In game one the Griffons got a complete game shutout from Jackie Bishop as she improves to 18-6 on the season. She gave up just two hits while striking out four in the game.

Missouri Western opened up the scoring in the second inning when Kat Steponovich hit her sixth homer of the season. In the third the Griffons got two more runs on two hits. Sydney Washington reached on a fielders choice and scored on a double down the left field line by Tiffany Gillaspy. Gillaspy scored on a Brooke Schaben sacrafice fly giving the Griffons the 3-0 lead.

The score stayed that way until the 5th when Fleschner walked and advanced to third on a double by Washington. Fleschner scored on sacrafice fly to left field by Gillaspy and Washington scored on a two out single up the middle by Anding pushing the lead to 5-0. The last run came in the sixth as the Griffons put together three hits. Katie Klosterman singled and was pinch ran for by Taylor Schaben. Morgan Rathmann singled to left center and Fleschner singled to left field loading the bases. Washington got a productive out scoring Schaben giving the Griffons the 6-0 victory.

The Bearcats left two runners on in the sixth and one in the seventh but could not get to Bishop.

The Griffons had nine hits with Fleschner and Anding each getting two. Gillaspy had two RBI. The Bearcats had two hits with Jordan Ereth and Chantel Adams each getting one. Abbie Vitosh falls to 6-10 on the season going five innings giving up five hits and five earned runs with three strikeouts.

Game 2
MWSU 5
NWMSU 4
In game two the Griffons came up with some timely hitting scoring all five runs with two outs helping MWSU to the 5-4 victory. Janie Smith picked up her 10th victory of the season giving up 10 hits and three earned runs with three strikeouts. She sits at 10-8 on the season.

The Bearcats got on the board first in game two when Torri Blythe reached on a single and later scored on a passed ball. The Griffons answered right back working some two out magic. The Griffons used a hit batter, an error and a passed ball to put runners on second and third. Rathmann then came up big singling up the middle scoring Stevenson and Klosterman giving the Griffons the lead for good.

In the third Washington led off with a single up the middle and scored on a two out single by Anding putting the Griffons up 3-1 after two and a half. The Bearcats answered in the 3rd with one run on two hits cutting the MWSU lead to 3-2.

In the 5th the Griffons loaded the bases with two outs getting a run on a single to the left side by Klosterman which scored Anding and after five the Griffs led 4-2. In the sixth the two out magic continued as Rathmann singled and advanced to second on an throwing error by the Bearcat third baseman. She later scored on a two out double by Gillaspy giving the Griffons the 5-2 lead heading to the bottom of the sixth.

In their half of the sixth the Bearcats scored two runs on four hits and a Griffon error bit the Griffons able to get out of a jam still holding a 5-4 lead. The Bearcats led off the 7th with a single but could not get anything going as Smith got one of her three strikeouts to end the game.

The Griffons had 11 hits in the game with Rathmann going 3-for-4 with one run and two RBI. Gillaspy, Anding and Steponovich all had two hits in the game.

The Bearcats fall to 16-22 on the season. They had 10 hits with Blythe going 3-for-4 and Stephanie Mark going 2-for-3. Taylor Blackford falls to 2-1 going six innings giving up 10 hits and two earned runs.

The Griffons return to action on Friday, April 11 when they take on the Lindenwood Lions in St. Charles, Mo. Game time is set for 1 pm.

— MWSU Sports Information —