ST. JOSEPH – Griffon Baseball was oh, so close to getting a series in as scheduled, but yet again, Mother Nature had other plans. Missouri Western’s three-game series at Emporia State has been adjusted to accommodate for the threat of rain over the weekend in Emporia, Kansas.

The Griffons and Hornets will now open the series with a doubleheader on Friday, beginning at 3 p.m. The final game of the series is now scheduled for noon on Saturday, weather permitting. The Griffons have only played one game, March 26 at Northwest Missouri, as scheduled since the beginning of March.

Missouri Western will enter the Trusler Sports Complex 13-13 overall with a 10-8 record in MIAA play. Emporia State is 18-11 overall and 12-6 in the MIAA.

— MWSU Athletics —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – For the third consecutive week this spring, the MIAA has named Shi Qing Ong MIAA Women’s Golf Athlete of the Week. Ong receives the this week’s honors after a dominating win at the Henderson State Invitational in Mountain Home, Arkansas.

Ong’s victory on Tuesday gives her four-straight event wins, winning each of Missouri Western’s spring competitions thus far. Ong established herself as the favorite early in the tournament after her career-best score of 67 (-5) in the opening round, eclipsing her previous-best mark of 69. She would follow that score with a 71 (-1) in the second and a 72 (E) in the third and final round on Tuesday.

With a three-round total of 210, Ong cruised to a seven-stroke win. She topped a leaderboard that included 64 golfers from 12 NCAA Div. II teams, leading the Griffons to a top-three finish. She also led the field with 11 birdies to go along with her 38 pars.

With four-straight event wins and three-straight MIAA Golfer of the Week awards, Ong and the Griffons will travel to Springfield, Missouri for the Central Region Preview on April 8.

— MWSU Atheltics —

ST. JOSEPH – Griffon Softball ended an 11-game homestand with a bang Tuesday night. Missouri Western (20-14, 7-5) swept a doubleheader from Lincoln (4-30, 1-15) as they won 8-0 and 13-0.

After being held to one hit and no runs through the first four innings, the Griffons had four hits and were helped by three Lincoln errors in an eight-run game two fifth inning to win by run rule. In game two, the Griffs scored early and often with two in the first, five in the second, four in the third and two in the fourth to win again via run-rule.

NOTABLES

• Nine Griffons got to the plate without an out being recorded in the eight-run game two fifth inning
• The first five Griffs to the plate all got on base to chase Lincoln starter Shannon Greene from the game. Greene had held the Griffs scoreless on just one hit through the first four innings
• On the night, Missouri Western scored 21 runs on 20 hits and eight Lincoln errors
• MWSU had six doubles and three home runs, all of the homers coming in game two
• The Griffons batted .426 and held Lincoln to a .171 average in the doubleheader
• Griffon pitchers Kaili Hinds (10-3) and Lexi Kinnaird (5-3) held Lincoln scoreless on six total hits and three walks. They combined for nine strikeouts
• Kinnaird pitched a two-hit complete game shutout with five strikeouts and just one walk. The second hit the senior allowed was a bloop to left in what proved to be the final inning.
• The Griffons were not charged with an error through 10 innings of play
• Brea Blanton went 4-for-6 in the doubleheader with four RBIs, a double and a home run. She also scored four runs and walked once.
• Sydni Hawkins and Emma Hoffart each had three hits in the doubleheader
• Morgan Frost drove in four runs and was 2-for-2 in game two with a double and a home run

UP NEXT

• The Griffs play on the road for the first time since March 12 with a trip to Fort Hays State (14-13, 7-5) on April 6 followed by a doubleheader at Nebraska-Kearney (10-16, 6-6) on April 7.

— MWSU Athletics —

MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. – For the fourth time in as many events this spring, Missouri Western senior Shi Qing Ong won the individual title as MWSU wrapped up play at the Henderson State Invitational on Tuesday. The Griffons placed third in the field of 12 teams and had the best finish of the five MIAA schools competing.

Missouri Western finished the event with a combined team score of 906 over the three rounds. The Griffons were consistent throughout the invitational, scoring single-round totals of 302, 300, and 304. Winning the event with a score of 893 on its home course was Henderson State, while Texas A&M Commerce took second with a 901.

Ong’s fourth-consecutive victory was never in doubt throughout the three rounds of the tournament, as the senior won the event by seven strokes. Her margin of victory becomes her largest during her current win streak. After scores of 67 (-5) and 71 (-1) on Monday, Ong closed with a 72 (E) in the third round for a total of 210.

Ong finished with a field-high 11 birdies, while also adding 38 pars. She excelled in the holes with higher pars, leading the field in both par-four and par-five scoring. The victory gives Ong her 13th win at Missouri Western.

Chong Yong shot a 77 in the third round, tying her for 28th with an overall score of 232. She also had the second-most pars on the team with 33.

Anna Bech and Jenna Kosmatka finished with scores of 235 and 236 respectively. Bech had one of the best single-round scores on the team when she shot a 74 (+2) in the second.

Katie Irvin had her best round of the event in Tuesday’s final round, shooting a 75 (+3) to bring her three-round total to 240.

Missouri Western will compete for the final time before the MIAA Championship when the team travels to Springfield, Missouri for the Central Region Spring Preview on April 8.

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western Tennis (9-10) snapped its recent losing skid in a convincing non-conference win over Rockhurst (9-9) on Tuesday afternoon. After dropping the doubles point early, the Griffons would go on to win five of six in the singles for a 5-2 victory.

The Griffons began the doubles with a 6-2 win from Karolina Ström and Joanna Abreu Roman. After their 15th win on Tuesday, the pair is now responsible for half of Missouri Western’s 30 doubles wins this season. After Rockhurst took the second doubles match, Federica Salmaso and Bojana Vuksan fell in a narrow 7-5 defeat, giving the Hawks the point heading into singles.

After dropping the first matchup on the number two courts to fall behind 2-0, the Griffons won the final five singles matches to earn the win. Ström and Ciarra Gilmore both made quick work of their opponents in two-set victories. Abreu Roman also took two close 7-5 sets from her opponent on her way to a win on the number three court.

Salmaso and Vuksan both won their matches in three sets at number five and six respectively. After losing the first set 6-3, Salmaso rebounded to win the final two sets 6-4, 6-3, giving the junior her ninth win of the season.

Missouri Western will continue its streak of home matches at the team hosts Lindenwood (0-8, 0-1 MIAA) on Saturday.

MWSU VS. RU
SINGLES
Karolina Ström (MWSU) def. Sam Czarnecki (RU) 6-3, 6-1
Anilu Barraza (RU) def. Mireia Birosta (MWSU) 6-2, 6-0
Joanna Abreu Roman (MWSU) def. Octavia Malin (RU) 7-5, 7-5
Ciarra Gilmore (MWSU) def. Emma Persson (RU) 6-2, 7-5
Federica Salmaso (MWSU) def. Paula Romero (RU) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
Bojana Vuksan (MWSU) def. Sara Flaxbeard (RU) 6-0, 1-6, 6-3

DOUBLES
Abreu Roman/Ström (MWSU) def. Czarnecki/Malin (RU) 6-2
Barraza/Romero (RU) def. Maldonado/Dunn (MWSU) 6-3
Flaxbeard/Persson (RU) def. Salmaso/Vuksan (MWSU) 7-5

— MWSU Athletics —