The Missouri Western softball team saw it’s season end in the South Central Regional this afternoon falling 2-1 against St. Edward’s University. Western finished with a 42-13 overall record and say goodbye to seniors Leah Steele and Blair Stalder.

The first inning was rough for the Griffons as they gave up a run on a passed ball after two hits. The Griffon offense struggled all day as they got just one hit in the first four innings off Hilltopper pitcher Emily Mayfield.

The Hilltoppers went up 2-0 in the fifth inning as two errors by Western’s left side of the infield allowed Meagen Bailey to score.

The Griffons cut the lead to 2-1 in the sixth on a two out rally. Sarah Elliott singled and then scored on a double to right center by Blair Stalder. Unfortunatly the Griffons could not get anything else going as they saw its season end.

Annalee Rubio pitched very well for the Griffons giving up just four hits whlie striking out two. She falls to 15-8 with the loss. Stalder, Elliott, Keri Lorbert and Leah Steele all had hits for the Griffons.

St. Edward’s improved to 30-20 and moved on to play Texas Woman’s University in an elimination game. Mayfield improved to 8-4 with the win as she gave up four hits and struckout one.

— MWSU Sports Information —

The Missouri Western baseball team continued to play well on the road sweeping a twin bill from Fort Hays State on Saturday afternoon. Western won game one 5-1 and game two 9-2 improving to 33-14 overall and 26-11 MIAA.

Game 1: MWSU 5, FHSU 1
Griffon pitcher Brandon Simmons won his 11th game of the season pitching his 10th complete game in a 5-1 victory over Fort Hays State in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader. The victory for Simmons ties AJ Huttenlocker’s single season record for wins in a season which was set in 2009. Simmons is 11-2 on the season.

Western scored in four of the Griffons seven innings which included two in the third inning. Western got on the board in the first when Spencer Shockley hit a sacrafice fly scoring Michael Schulze.

Hays scored their only run in the bottom of the second tying the score at one when Luke Kordsmeier singled to left field scoring JC Ochoa from second.

In the third Western went up 3-1 scoring two runs with two outs. Schulze reached on an error and then stole second. David Chew singled up the middle and advanced to second on the throw to home and then Shockley reached on a throwing error which allowed Chew to score giving Western the two run lead.

Things stayed that way until top of the sixth when Grant Fink flied out to center field scoring Shockley and then in the seventh Schulze singled to center field scoring pinch runner Jack Bond from second.

Simmons set down the Tigers in order in the seventh allowing Western to pick up its 32nd win of the season.

Schulze led the charge for the Griffons going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI.

The Tigers had seven hits as six different Tigers got hits. Alex Ellison went all seven giving up five hits and three earned runs. He falls to 3-5 with the loss.

Game 2: MWSU 9, FHSU 2
Western got another strong pitching performance from Nik Jurado as he improved to 8-1 on the season throwing his fifth complete game of the season. Jurado scattered eight hits while striking out three in the victory.

Jurado gave up just two runs in the game which came in the fourth inning. Western jumped all over Tiger pitcher Jesse Hart scoring four runs on two hits in just an inning of work.

Western scored five runs in the first two inning with three coming in the first and two in the second. The Griffons tacked one more on in the sixth and three in the seventh on its way to their 33rd win of the season.

Schulze continued to swing the bat well going 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI. Jimmy Smelcer and Spencer Shockley each had three hits as well with both scoring one run and batting in two.

The Tigers fall to 25-22 overall and 19-19 in MIAA play. The two teams wrap up the series tomorrow afternoon with a nine inning game starting at 12:00 pm.

— MWSU Sports Information —

The Missouri Western softball team fell in a close extra inning battle in the first round of the NCAA Division II South Central Regional against Texas Woman’s University. The Pioneers scored an unearned run in the top of the eighth earning the 4-3 victory. The Griffons fall to 42-12 with the loss. Western will play the loser of Angelo State and St. Edwards University in an elimination game tomorrow at 4:30 pm.

Things started well for the Griffons with Jackie Bishop setting the Pioneers down in order in the first and second innings. Bishop struckout four of the first eight Texas Woman’s batters.

In the bottom half of the first Western used a walk and an error by the Pioneer short stop putting runners on first and third. Western then pulled out the double steel with Blair Stalder stealing second and Bre Fleschner stealing home giving Western the 1-0 lead. Western loaded the bases with two outs but a foul out by Leah Steele ended the Griffons threat.

In the third inning Bishop battled out of a base loaded jam giving up just one run on two hits. Bailey Vrazel singled up the middle which scored pinch runner Haley Leopold from second base. Bishop got Katie Hines to pop up back to her ending the inning.

In the fourth Maegan Roemmich singled up the middle with one out but a ground out by Fleschner and a pop up to right by Sarah Elliott ended the fourth for Western.

In the fifth Bishop got the first two Pioneers out but a single up the middle by Tiffany Weise and homer by Katie Hines gave TWU the 3-1 lead after five and a half. Western answered in their half of the fifth as Stalder led off with single and then scored on a Steele double down the left field line with two outs. Unfortunately Taylor Anding got tossed out at third ending the fifth for Western.

In the top of the sixth inning Bishop got the first batter out and walked Sarah Wittenburg before lightening suspended play at 5:56 pm. When the game resumed at 6:50 pm the Griffons stranded one runner on base heading to the bottom of the sixth inning.

In the sixth pinch hitter Tiffany Gillaspy led off with a double to right center and then scored on a two out single by Sarah Elliott tying the game at three after six. Bishop stranded two Pioneers in the seventh escaping a triple by Addison Staley that went off the glove of Griffon center fielder Kendall Sorenson.

In the seventh for the Griffons, Sorenson hit a one out double to center field but was stranded at second. In the seventh a throwing error by Elliot allowed the Pioneers to take the lead. Western flied out three times in the eighth ending the game.

The Pioneers improve to 37-15 on the year and will take on the winner of Saint Edwards and Angelo State at 2:00 pm tomorrow afternoon.

Western had eight hits with Stalder and Sorenson both getting two hits. Western left 10 runners on base. Jackie Bishop falls to 24-5 on the season as she walked a career high five batters while striking out nine.

The Pioneers had seven hits and also left 10 on base. Vrazel had two hits and one RBI while Katie Hines had two RBI while scoring one run and getting one hit. Larisa Garcia improves to 13-7 on the season walking six and striking out two.

— MWSU Sports Information —

The Missouri Western baseball team clinched the second seed in next weekends MIAA Baseball Tournament in Kansas City, Mo. with a 15-1 run rule victory in the series opener against the Fort Hays State Tigers. Western pounded out 14 hits and capitalized on four Tiger errors in the victory. The Griffons improve to 31-14 overall and 24-11 in MIAA play.

Western got a complete game shutout from senior left hander Ethan Ward as he went all seven innings giving up just five hits while striking out five. He gave up one earned run which came in the bottom of the first inning. Ward improved to 6-2 pitching his second complete game of the season.

Western scored runs in five of the final six innings which included a six run third inning and a four run seventh inning.

Of the Griffons 14 hits six of them were doubles with three coming from Michael Schulze. Schulze went 4-for-4 with three doubles, two runs scored and two RBI. Spencer Shockley and Bubba Dotson also ahd two hits for the Griffons. Shawn Egge had three RBI while Tony Loeffler scored two runs and had two RBI.

The Tigers fall to 25-20 on the season and 19-17 in MIAA play. Offensively for the Tigers Nash Smith and Jay Sanders had doubles while Brandon Hoefler knocked in Smith for the Tigers only run of the game. Shawn Lewick falls to 6-4 going 3.2 innings giving up 10 hits and 10 runs with just four being earned.

The two teams will play games two and three tomorrow afternoon with two seven inning games starting at 1:00 pm in Hays, Kan.

— MWSU Sports Information —

The Missouri Western softball team (42-11) moved up one spot to 20th in the lastest NFCA Division II Softball Coaches poll. The Griffons went 4-2 last week in the MIAA tournament before falling against 17th ranked Emporia State 6-5 in the championship game.

This week the Griffons will be in San Angelo, Texas participating in the South Central Region 1 four team tournament. The Griffons are the #4 seed and will play the #5 seed Pioneers of Texas Women’s University on Friday, May 4 at 4:30 pm.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Saturday, September 8th once again has an opening on the 2012 Missouri Western football schedule as expected opponent Central State from Ohio has backed out of their commitment.

The penalty for backing out of the game is $50,000.

“It’s disappointing that Central State has backed out of their commitment.  They had a chance to play a FCS school (Northern Iowa) on the same date and made the decision that they will do so,” said MWSU Director of Athletics Kurt McGuffin.  “Scheduling for us is extremely difficult especially with the success of our team and will be even more challenging at this late date.”

“We are actively seeking another opponent and hopeful that we will fill the opening and would prefer to do so with a home game at Spratt Stadium,” McGuffin said.

Go to gogriffons.com for all of the latest Griffon football schedule updates.

— MWSU Sports Information —

The NCAA Division II Softball Committee has selected the 64 teams that will participate in the 2012 NCAA Division II Softball Regional Championships. Four teams will participate at each of 16 regional sites in double-elimination tournaments. Regional competition will be held May 4-6. Winners will advance to the super regional’s May 11-12. The finals will be held May 16-19 at Knights Field in Louisville, Kentucky, and will be hosted by Bellarmine University and the Louisville Sports Commission.

For the sixth time in eight years (2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2012) the Missouri Western softball team will be heading to the NCAA Division II National Tournament. The Griffons (42-11) are the fourth seed and will play in San Angelo, Texas on Friday, May 4 at 5:30 pm against Texas Woman’s University (36-15) who is the five seed. This is the third time in four years that the Griffons have been to the South Central Regional.

The other two teams that are in the Griffons region are the host school and number one seed Angelo State (44-9) and the eight seed St. Edwards (29-19).

Four other schools will be going to Edmond, Oklahoma to play their double elimination tournament. Central Oklahoma (38-5) the number two seed will play Incarnate Word (29-23) the seventh seed while the three seed Emporia State Hornets (39-9) will take on the sixth seeded Abilene Christian Wildcats (29-16).

— MWSU Sports Information —

Due to the rain surrounding the St. Joseph Area the baseball doubleheader against the Southwest Baptist Bearcats has been canceled for Sunday.

The games have not been rescheduled at this time. Go to gogriffons.com for the latest schedule changes.

The two teams split a doubleheader yesterday with Western winning game one 4-2 before falling 2-1 in game two. Western is 30-14 on the season and 23-11 in MIAA play. They are 2nd in the MIAA with a four game lead on third place Emporia State.

— MWSU Sports Information —