The Missouri Western softball team split on the final day of the MWSU Softball Invitational defeating Concorida-St. Paul 7-2 and falling 1-0 in a pitchers dual against Minnesota State-Mankato. The Griffons fall to 19-13 on the season and will host the Pittsburg State Gorillas in an MIAA double header with first pitch scheulded for 12:00 pm.

Game 1
MWSU 7
CSP 2

The Griffons used the long ball and a strong pitching performance from Janie Smith picking up a 7-2 victory over the Concordia-St. Smith westn all seven innings giving up nine hits and two earned runs with four strikeouts. She evened her record at 7-7 with the victory.

The Griffons got on the board in the first when Bre Fleschner got hit by a pitch and scored on a single up the middle by Tiffany Gillaspy. Gillaspy later scored on a Katie Klosterman homer giving the Griffons a 3-0 lead after one inning of play.

The Golden Bears responded with two runs in the second on three hits but again in the second the Griffons plated two on a Brooke Schaben homer giving the Griffons a 5-2 lead after two. The Griffons were able to plate one more in the third and one in the 5th earning their 19th victory of the season.

The Griffons had six hits with two coming from Schaben and two more from Klosterman. Schaben and Klosterman each had two RBI while Fleschner and Klosterman each scored twice.

The Golden Bears had nine hits with Bekah Roth getting three hits and two RBI. Stephanie Kappes got the loss going all six innings. She gave up six hits and six earned runs. Kappes falls to 3-10 while the Golden Bears falls to 5-14 on the season.

Game 2
MSU 1
MWSU 0

In a pitchers dual the Griffons fell 1-0 against Minnesota State in the final game of the MWSU Softball Invitational. The lone run came off an error by Klosterman in the first inning giving the Mavericks the victory.

Jackie Bishop pitched solid going all seven giving up three hits and striking out eight. She falls to 12-6 on the season.

The Mavericks improve to 16-6 on the season as Coley Ries went all seven giving up just one hit while striking out eight. She improves to 7-2 on the season. Samantha Holien had two of the MSU three hits and scored the only run of the game.

— MWSU Sports Information —

While spring is four days old, the temperature still resembled winter as the Missouri Western Women’s golf team along with 15 other teams and six individuals competed in the opening round of the Holiday Inn/MWSU Women’s Golf Invitational at St. Joseph Country Club.

While the mercury never read above 40 degrees, low winds and sunshine made playing conditions tolerable.  Following the conclusion of play on day one with two groups still left to finish, the Griffons sit in 6th place after firing a team score of 352.  Sophomore Callie Wilson sits in at tie for 5th place individually as she paced the Griffons firing an 81 which included birdies on the par five 6th hole and the par three 13th hole.  Other counting scores included Madison Romjue 87, Anna Kloeppel 89 and Shelby Stone 95.

Arkansas Tech leads the team event of finishing teams with an opening round score of 311.  Rebecka Surtevall and Megan Jeffery of Arkansas Tech lead individually with an opening round 75.

Two groups from Central Missouri, Henderson State, Southwest Baptist and Southern Nazarene will finish the final hole tomorrow morning.

The second round will begin with a shotgun start at 10 AM.

— MWSU Sports Information —

The Missouri Western women’s tennis team struggled against the Northeastern State RiverHawks falling 5-1 in MIAA road action. The Griffons lone victory came in No. 3 doubles as Kayla Dysart and Alyssa Dougan defeated Houda Bellamine and Maria Lodge 8-6. The Griffons are now 0-9 on the season and 0-5 in MIAA play.

The Griffons return to action on Friday, March 28 when they travel to Emporia, Kan. to take on the Emporia State Hornets at 3:00 pm in MIAA play.

Singles competition
1. #49 Savchenkov,Kristina (NSU) def. Dysart,Kayla (MWSU) 6-1, 6-1
2. Efimenko,Valeriia (NSU) def. Smith,Meara (MWSU) 6-1, 6-0
3. Bellamine,Houda (NSU) vs. Chiao,Denise (MWSU) 6-1, 4-1, unfinished
4. Bruzikova,Martina (NSU) def. Boldridge,Ceara (MWSU) 6-0, 6-0
5. Jirickova,Barbora (NSU) vs. Beger,Lindsay (MWSU) 6-0, 5-2, unfinished
6. Cerchlanova,Lucia (NSU) vs. Dougan,Alyssa (MWSU) 6-1, 2-0, unfinished

Doubles competition
1. Bruzikova,Martina/Efimenko,Valeriia (NSU) def. Smith,Meara/Boldridge,Ceara (MWSU) 8-1
2. Jirickova,Barbora/Savchenkov,Kristina (NSU) def. Chiao,Denise/Beger,Lindsay (MWSU) 8-2
3. Dysart,Kayla/Dougan,Alyssa (MWSU) def. Bellamine,Houda/Lodge,Maria (NSU) 8-6

— MWSU Sports Information —

Missouri Western split a pair of MIAA games with No. 22 ranked Central Oklahoma Friday afternoon at the Spring Sports Complex.

The Griffons took the first game from their opponents, winning 6-3 before falling in the second game 4-2. The Griffons are now 10-12 and 7-9 in the conference, while the Bronchos are 17-5 and 13-5 in the MIAA.

Game 1

Missouri Western fell behind 2-0 after the top of the third when Broncho outfielder Dylan Raper scored on a Matt Johnson single up the middle. After that, it was all Missouri Western.
The Griffons scored all six of their runs in the bottom of the third.

Hunter Weiss hit a triple to left center followed by Trevor LaHonta’s single to right field which put the Griffons on the board for the first time. Dylon Koch and Ryan Degner each singled on bunts afterward, and Matt Russell doubled to left field to score two more runs.

After that, infielder Cody Childs singled to left to score another two runs. Will Carter, who started the inning out, then doubled which scored Childs. The six runs came off seven hits in that inning.

Central Oklahoma added another run late but it was not enough as Grant Woods picked up the win in a complete outing for the Griffons.

Game 2

Central Oklahoma picked up the second game with a 3-0 start in the first three innings.

Johnson’s solo home run in the top of the first started the game off for the Bronchos. Two innings later, Central Oklahoma scored two more runs to mark the score 3-0 through two and a half innings.

Missouri Western scored in the third inning to cut into the lead.

LaHonta’s single to left center field scored Weiss, who singled to right center earlier in the inning.

The Griffons added another run in the next inning after Degner scored on Russell’s single. But Missouri Western couldn’t tie the game, and the Bronchos added another run in the final inning to mark the final.

Central Oklahoma pitcher Ricky Reeves picked up the win to go 5-0 on the year.

The two teams play again Saturday at 1 p.m.

— MWSU Sports Information —

The Missouri Western softball team split a double header on day one of the MWSU Softball Invite. The Griffons lost a close battle with Northern State 3-2 before Jackie Bishop pitched her third no hitter of the season in a 10-0 run rule victory over St. Cloud State. The Griffons improve to 16-12 overall and will take on Wayne State (Neb.) and #5 Augustana (S.D.) tomorrow at 10 am and 12 pm respectively.

Game 1
Northern State 3
Missouri Western 2

The Griffons had two errors that cost them the game against Northern State falling 3-2. Missouri Western also had just five hits and left eight runners on base. The Griffons fall to 15-12 on the season while Janie Smith falls to 5-7 on the season going all six innings giving up four hits while striking out seven.

The Griffons jumped on top of the Wolves in the bottom of the first inning when Bre Fleschner nailed her second home run of the season. The score stayed that way until the top of the third when Northern State used a hit and a Griffon error claiming a 2-1 lead. The Wolves got a two out double to left center by Rachel Albright to go on top.

The Griffons left runners on in every inning the rest of the way including stranding a lead off triple in the 5th by Morgan Rathmann and a lead off double by Taylor Anding in the sixth. In the seventh the Griffons got one run but stranded a runner in the first falling 3-2.

Fleschner led the Griffons with two hits in the contest. Northern State improves to 5-6 overall while Kami Smesmo picked up the victory going all seven inning with five strikeouts and four walks.

Game 2
Missouri Western 10
St. Cloud State 0 (5 innings)

In game two Bishop tossed her third no hitter of the season and fourth of her career in a 10-0 victory over the St. Cloud State Huskies. Bishop struckout 11 in the contest which included six straight at one point. She improves to 11-5 with the victory.

The Griffons pounded out 10 hits with Brooke Schaben, Tiffany Gillaspy and Michelle Stevenson all getting two apiece. Schaben had four RBI while Gillaspy added three.

The Griffons scored four runs in the second and third innings and two in the fourth. Gillaspy hit a bases clearing double in the 2nd while Fleschner hit a to RBI single in the third.

Franks got the loss for the Huskies as they fall to 4-9 on the season. It is the second time this season that the Griffons run ruled St. Cloud State.

— MWSU Sports Information —

The Missouri Western softball team split a pair of games with 20th ranked Winona State Wednesday. The Griffons lost a heart breaker in game one 2-1 in eight innings before picking up a 4-0 victory in game two.

Western was led by Jackie Bishop as she pitched all 14 inings picking up 18 strike outs on the day. She sits at 10-5 overall while the Griffons are 15-11. The Griffons return to action this weekend hosting the MWSU Softball Invitational. The Griffons open up play on Friday, March 21 with games against Northern State University and St. Cloud State University. Game times are set for 12 pm and 2 pm respectively.

Game 1
WSU 2
MWSU 1

The Griffon softball team lost a heartbreaker in game one falling 2-1 in eight innings against #20 Winona State University. The Griffons outhit the Warriors five to four but could not get the big hit when they needed it.

Jackie Bishop gave up just four hits while striking out a season high 12 batters. She did give up a home run in a triple that cost the Griffons. She falls to 9-5 on the season with the loss.

The Warriors took the lead in the top of the second inning when Morgan Lintz blasted her second home run of the season.

The Griffons tied it up in the fourth as Kailey Green and Taylor Anding led off the inning with singles. Shelby Elliott pinch ran for Green and scored on a ground out by Katie Klosterman tying the score at one after four innings.

The score stayed that way until the top of the 8th. They used the international tie breaker putting a runner on second to start the inning. Bishop got the first two hitters out but then a triple by Brooke Piotrowski gave Winona State the 2-1 lead.

In the bottom of the inning Michelle Stevenson was put on second and Morgan Rathmann led off by popping up a bunt to the catcher. Stevenson got out trying to advance to third on a fielders choice to shortstop by Bre Fleschner. Brooke Schaben singled to right center putting runners on first and third before Tiffany Gillaspy grounded out to second base ending the game.

Ashley Walker picked up the victory for the Warriors going all eight innings giving up five hits with three strikeouts. Piotrowski had two hits and an RBI.

Five different Griffons got hits in game one with Klosterman getting an RBI.

Game 2
MWSU 4
WSU 0

In game two the Griffons jumped on top in the first inning when Gillaspy drove in Fleschner who led the game off with a single to right field. After one the Griffons led 1-0.

In the third inning the Griffons used the long ball scoring three more runs. Freshman Morgan Rathmann led the inning off with her first career home run. Three batters later Gillaspy nailed her 6th homer of the year giving the Griffons the 4-0 lead after three innings of play.

That was all Bishop would need as she struck out six batter and gave up just five hits. Gillaspy drove in three runs for the Griffons while Fleschner scored two runs.

Hanna Lythberg went all six innings for the Warriors giving up five hits and four earned runs. She falls to 8-1 on the year while the Warriors fall to 17-3. Lintz led the way with two of Winona State’s five hits.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Missouri Western senior pitcher Jackie Bishop has been named the MIAA/AstroTurf Pitcher of the Week going 3-1 last weekend which included her second no hitter of the season and third of her career. This marks the 9th time in her career that she has earned this honor. Three times as a freshman, four times as a sophomore and second time this season.

Bishop had another solid week going 3-1 and improving her record to 9-4 on the season. Bishop threw 28 innings giving up 16 hits with 24 strikeouts. Bishop threw her second no hitter of the season and third of her career against Southwest Baptist where she allowed just two base runners while striking out nine in a 6-0 victory.

Bishop also threw a shutout against Northwest Missouri State earlier in the week and defeated Central Missouri 6-2 on Friday. She allowed opponents to hit just .160 against her. The 5-8 senior pitcher is a native of Kirksville, Mo. where she competed at Kirksville High School.

— MWSU Sports Information —

The Missouri Western men’s golf team finished in a tie for 12th at the Washburn/Topeka Capitol One Invitational firing a three round total of 930 (308-312-310). The Griffons fired three strokes less than Washburn and nine strokes better than Southwest Baptist. The winner of teh event was Central Oklahoma with an 878 (290-292-296) which was five strokes better than Lindenwood who fired a 883 (301-291-291).

The Griffons were led by Tyler Gast finishing 14th with a three round total of 222 (75-74-73). Derek Hawkins finished in a tie for 51st with a 235 (78-79-78) while James O’Brien (77-82-79) and Scott Sheldon (81-77-80) finished firing 238. Evan McCarthy fired an 242 (78-82-82) while Miles Jumps fired an 245 (89-76-80) playing as an individual.

Greg MacAulay of Lindenwood won the event firing a 5-under 208 (72-72-65) while Logan Gray of Central Oklahoma finished second with a 215 (72-72-71).

The Griffons return to action on March 31 and April 1 when the participate in the Central Oklahoma Invitational in Edmond, Okla. The event will be played at Gallardia Golf Club.

— MWSU Sports Information —