The Missouri Western made a great run but fell twice on Saturday in the MIAA Tournament held in Springfield, Mo. The Griffons fell in game one 3-2 before falling 6-0 in the final game of the tournament. The Griffons finish the season 32-20.

Game 1
ESU 3
MWSU 2

Despite scoring the first two runs of the game the Griffons gave up three unaswared run falling 3-2 in the first game of the MIAA Championship. The Griffons got two runs in the 5th inning on three hits. Mitch Thorman singled to right field and scored on a two out single by Ryan Degner. Cody Childs then hit his first triple of the year scoring Degner and giving the Griffons the 2-0 lead.

Josh Lansangan had a no hitter going into the 5th inning but three one out hits helped the Hornets cut the Griffon lead to 2-1 after five innings. In the 6th the Hornets were able capitalize on an error on Childs leading off the inning. They followed the error up with a couple more singles giving the Hornets the 3-2 lead after six innings.

In the 8th the Griffons got runners on the corners with no outs but the Griffons were unable to push the tying or go ahead run accross the plate. The Griffons did not get anything going in the ninth as they dropped their first game of the tournament.

In the contest the Griffons had seven hits with David Chew going 3-for-4 and Degner going 2-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI. Lansangan went 5.2 innings with four hits and one earned run with four strikeouts. He falls to 3-3 with the loss. Tyler Sanders went 2.1 innings with one strikeout.

The Hornets improve to 39-17 on the season as they scattered six hits. Price Jacobs got two hits with an RBI and a run scored. Travis Hendry went 4.2 innings giving up five hits and two earned runs with four strikeouts. Brenton Higgins went 2.1 innings in relief giving up two hits. He improves to 7-1 with the win while Shawn Talkington went 2.0 innnings picking up his first save of the year.

Game 2
ESU 6
MWSU 0

In the second game Emporia State got three runs in the third inning and would not look back. At the plate Jacobs hit a solo home run going two for five with two runs scored. Dean Long was two for three scoring a run and driving one in while Aaron Gile went two for four and drove in a run.

On the mound just one day after throwing a complete game Jarrod Miller pitching four innings of two hit baseball. He would be relieved by Matt Hinkley who pitched three innings of scoreless baseball to earn his second win of the season.

The Griffons had just five hits in the gmae with Will Carter and LaHonta each getting two. Cody Childs had the other hit in the game. Tyler Tuepker falls to 2-3 on the season going 2.1 innings giving up two hits and two earned runs.

The Hornets will earn the league’s automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament which begins with the Central Regional on May 15.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Winona, Minn. – The Griffon softball team fought off elimination once but could not do it twice on Saturday in the NCAA Central Regional. The Griffons beat Southern Arkansas 5-0 before falling to #1 seed and 10th ranked Winona State 5-4. The Griffons season ends with a 39-18 overall record.

Game 1
MWSU 5
SAU 0

Against the Muleriders the Griffons got a solid pithing performance from Jackie Bishop as she threw a complete game shutout. The shutout was her 12th of the year and the victory was the 26th of the season which was a new career high. Bishop struck out six in the game.

The Griffons got on the board in the third inning when Tiffany Gillaspy hit a two out double scoring Sydney Washington from first base giving them the 1-0 lead. In the fifth Morgan Rathmann got hit by a pitch and again with two outs Gillaspy blasted a homer to give the Griffons the 3-0 lead.

The Griffons put two more on the board in the 6th with three hits. Michelle Stevenson and Rathmann had RBI hits in the inning making it 5-0 going to the 7th.

Bishop gave up a single in the 7th but got out of the inning eliminating Southern Arkansas. The Muleriders ended their season with a 37-26 overall record.

The Griffons had six hits with Gillaspy going 2-for-3 with three RBI and a runs scored.

Hanna Gill got the loss for SAU going 5.1 innings giving up four hits and five earned runs with two strikeouts. She falls to 12-6 with the loss. SAU had four hits with four different players getting a hit.

Game 2
#10 WSU 5
MWSU 4

In game two the long ball hurt the Griffons as three of their five hits went over the fence including a three run homer in the first by Morgan Lintz giving the Warriors the 3-0 lead. The Griffons kept battling back tying the game at three after five.

In the third inning the Griffons loaded the bases with no one out as Katie Klosterman walked and Stevenson and Rathmann hit back-to-back singles. Klosterman scored on a ground-out by Fleschner as the Griffons cut the lead to 3-1. In the fourth Anding singled to the pitcher and Steponovich doubled to right field putting runners on second and third with one out. Stevenson hit a sac fly scoring Anding cutting the Warrior lead to 3-2 after four.

In the fifth the Griffons got things going again as Rathmann led off with a single and stole second. Gillaspy came up with two outs and singled to left field tying the game at three going to the bottom of the fifth.

Bishop set nine straight batter down until the bottom of the sixth when Jen Nelson and Lintz hit back-to-back homers giving the Warriors the 5-3 lead going to the 7th.

The Griffons did not give up as single by Gillaspy and Brooke Schaben put runners on first and third with no one out. The Griffons got a run on a Steponovich ground out but that would be it as the Griffons left one on in the inning and their ninth in the game.

The Griffons had 11 hits with Rathmann going 3-for-3 with a run. Gillaspy and Stevenson each had two hits while four other Griffons had a hit. Bishop ends her season 26-10 as she went six innings giving up five hits and five earned run.s She struckout four in the game.

The Warriors improved to 48-8 on the season Lintz going 2-for-3 with two runs and four RBI. Hanna Lythberg went 5.1 innings giving up eight hits and three earned runs while Ashley Walker got her 20th victory going 1.2 innings in relief. She gave up three hits and one earned run.

Bishop finished her career 96-29 with a 1.44 ERA. She pitched 828 innings with 977 strikeouts.

— MWSU Sports Information —

WINONA, Minn. – The Missouri Western softball team dropped a back and forth battle in the first round of the NCAA Central Regional falling 8-7 against #23 Augustana College. The Griffons had eight hits in the game with Sydney Washington going 2-for-3 with a run scored. The Griffons will take on Southern Arkansas in an elimination game on Saturday, May 10 at 3:30 pm. The winner will take on the loser of Winona State and Augustana at 6 pm tomorrow night.

The Griffons were able to score runs in three of the seven innings but the Vikings scored in five of the seven. The Griffons got on the board in the first as Bre Fleschner and Washington led off with back-to-back singles. The Griffons loaded the bases when Tiffany Gillaspy walked. Fleschner scored on a wild pitch and Washington scored on a ground out by Taylor Anding giving the Griffons the 2-0 lead.

The Vikings responded scoring the next three runs which included a two run homer by Jenelle Troutman in the first inning which tied the score at two. The Vikings took the lead in the second when Troutman got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded giving Augie the 3-2 lead after two.

In the third the Griffons tied the score as Gillaspy led off getting hit by a pitch. She later scored on a passed ball tying the score at three. The score stayed that way until the 4th when Trautman blasted her second homer of the game giving the Vikings the 4-3 lead after four innings.

Missouri Western responded in the 5th getting three hits and four runs taking a 7-4 lead. Kat Steponovich blasted her 8th homer of the season in the inning while Gillaspy and Anding also had singles in the frame.

Things looked good for the Griffons as they shut down the Vikings in the 5th but in the 6th Augustana got their third homer of the game. This time the Griffons walked Trautman in order to get to Lindsay Spanton. Spanton took an 0-2 pitch over the left field fence tying the score at seven after the 6th.

The Griffons went down in order in the 7th and with two outs in the bottom of the 7th Sarah Kennedy hit a walk off homer downing Missouri Western.

The Vinkings improve to 44-13 on the season as they had 1- hits. Kennedy went 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI while Trautmann went 2-for-2 with four RBI. Trautmann also went 3.2 innings giving up five hits and three earned runs while Carley Pickett got the win going 3.1 innings giving up three hits and three earned runs. She improves to 16-6 with the victory.

Jackie Bishop got the loss for the Griffons going 6.2 innings giving up 10 hits and eight earned runs. She walked five and struck out five in the game. She falls to 25-9 with the loss.

— MWSU Sports Information —

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Missouri Western baseball pounded out 13 hits on their way to a 5-2 victory over the Central Oklahoma Bronchos. The Griffons will take on the winner of Emporia State and Central Oklahoma at 11 am on Saturday, May 10 in Sringfield, Mo. This marks the second straight year that the Griffons have advanced to the MIAA Championship. The Griffons need just one victory to advance to the NCAA Central Regional. The Griffons improve to 32-18 on the season.

After getting down 1-0 in the first the Griffons scored runs in four consecutive innings taking a 5-1 lead after seven innings. In the fourth inning the Griffons got three straight singles by Jake Schrader, Hutern Weiss and Mitch Thorman loading the bases. Trevor LaHonta then got hit by a pitch tying the score at one after four innings.

In the fifth inning the Griffons got the go ahead run on three hits and used two errors Broncho errors. Cody Childs reached on an throwing error by the third baseman and scored on the same play on an throwing error by the first basemand giving the Griffons the 2-1 lead after five.

The Griffons scored two more runs in the sixth on three hits. Mitch Thorman doubled to left center and later scored on a double to left center by Ryan Degner. Degner scored on a Dylan Koch single to left fied making it 4-1 after six innings. In the seventh another single by Thorman scored Schrader helping MWSU to the 5-1 lead.

That would be all the Griffons would need as Jake Jones and Mason Queen allowed just one more run for the Bronchos in the victory. Jake Jones went six innings giving up six hits and one earned run while striking out seven. Mason Queen went three innings giving up three hits with two strikeouits. Jones improves to 7-3 with the victory.

Degner, Koch and Degner each had three hits while Schrader had two. Schrader scored two runs while Degner, Koch, Thorman and LaHonta all had an RBI.

The Bronchos had nine hits in the game with Josh Ingram going 4-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored. Ricky Reeves got the loss falling 8-1. He went 5.1 innings giving up nine hits and two earned runs with three strikeouts. The Bronchos fall to 37-16 with the loss.

— MWSU Sports Information —

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Missouri Western baseball team used an eight inning performance from Grant Woods and three hits apiece from Dylan Koch and David Chew picking up a 12-6 victory in the opening round of the MIAA Final Four Tournament against Northeastern State. The Griffons used a six run sixth inning helping them seal the victory. The Griffons improve to 31-18 with the victory and will play Central Oklahoma or Emporia State on Friday, May 9 at 11 am.

The game saw 21 hits and four total home runs between the two teams with MWSU moving on to tomorrow’s game.

The Griffons jumped on the RiverHawks in the first inning when Cody Childs walked and back-to-back singles by Koch and Chew and a throwing error helped the Griffons go up 2-0 after one inning. The scored stayed that way until the 3rd when Koch walked and advanced to second on a balk. He later scored on a Chew single to left field giving the Griffons the 3-0 lead after three innings of play.

In the sixth the RiverHawks tied the scored getting three runs on three hits. Cody Robinson hit a two run homer tying the score at three after five and a half.

The Griffons responded nicely in their half of the sixth loading the baseas with two out. The Griffons got a break as an error by the NSU second baseman allowed Koch and Will Carter to score giving the Griffons the 5-3 lead. The next batter Trevor LaHonta hit a two RBI single and then Ryan Degner followed that up with a two RBI homer giving the Griffons the 9-3 lead after six innings.

In the seventh Dylan Koch led off with his first homer of his career and Jake Schrader got an RBI single giving the Griffons the 11-3 lead after eight. The Griffons got the run they need in the 8th on a double by Chew scoring Koch giving them the nine run cushion which they needed as NSU scored eight runs in the 9th making things interesting.

On the mound Woods pitched eight innings to earn the win. He improves to 6-2 while Mason Queen came on to earn a one pitch save. It was Queen’s fifth save of the season.

For the RiverHawks Cody Robinson was three for five with a home run and three runs driven in. Kyle Singleton also hit a home run going two for four and driving in two runs. NSU falls to 26-27 with the loss.

— MWSU Sports Information —

The Missouri Western baseball team had seven players named to the All-MIAA teams which was released Thursday (May 8) morning. The Griffons are 30-18 on the season and will take on the Northeastern State RiverHawks this morning in the first round of the Final Four double elimination tournament which is being held at John Q. Hammons Field in Springfield, Mo. First pitch is scheduled for 11 am.

Junior outfielder Ryan Degner was named to the second team while senior catcher Jake Schrader was a third team selection. Senior pitchers Jake Jones and Mason Queen were named to the honorable mention team as well as junior second baseman Dylon Koch, junior shortstop Cody Childs and senior outfielder David Chew.

Degner who transfered in after Christmas break is leading the Griffons in almost all offensive categories. He is hitting a team high .393 and is currenly on a eight game hitting streak. He also leads the team in hits (68), runs scored (43), doubles (15), total baseas (114), slugging percentage (.659), on base percentage (.463) and stolen bases (18). He is second on the team with nine home runs and 45 RBI. He has a hit in 38 of the Griffons 48 games this season which includes getting four hits in a game three times. He had a season best six RBI earlier this season against the Norteastern State RiverHawks.

Schrader has had a solid season behind the plate for the Griffons catching all 46 games he has played in. Schrader has made 269 putouts with 30 assists and just six errors for a .980 fielding percentage. He has also thrown out 17 runners this season. Offensively he leads the Griffons with 11 home runs in which he has hit two in a game four different times. He also leads the team with 46 RBI. On the season he is hitting .282 with 44 hits, 34 runs scored, 10 doubles, 89 total bases and a .571 slugging percentage. He has a hit in 25 game this season including a career high four against Lincoln on April 6.

Player of the Year: Phillip Wilson, SS/RP, Sr., Central Oklahoma
Pitcher of the Year: Rickey Reeves, Jr., Central Oklahoma
Freshman of the Year: Ryan Helsley, P, Northeastern State
Coach of the Year: Chris Martin, Southwest Baptist

First Team All-MIAA

Pitcher: Ricky Reeves, Jr., Central Oklahoma
Pitcher: Shawn Talkington, Jr, Emporia State
Pitcher: Kyle Gehrs, Sr., Central Missouri
Relief Pitcher: Breton Higgins, Sr., Emporia State
Catcher: David Gauntt, So., Washburn
First Base: Jake O’ Brien, Jr., Central Oklahoma
Second Base: Levi Parker, Jr., Emporia State
Shortstop: Phillip Wilson, Sr., Central Oklahoma
Third Base: Spencer Blacksher, Jr., Southwest Baptist
Outfield: Cody Robinson, Sr., Northeastern State
Outfield: Anthony Pacheco, So., Nebraska-Kearney
Outfield: Brad Wilson, Sr., Central Missouri
Designated Hitter: Josh Ingram, Jr., Central Oklahoma
Utility: Danny Droll, Jr., Nebraska-Kearney

Second Team All-MIAA

Pitcher: Brett Ash, Sr., Washburn^
Pitcher: Jared Sterling, Jr., Central Oklahoma^
Pitcher: David Reese, Sr., Missouri Southern^
Pitcher: Ryan Hesley, Fr., Northeastern State^
Relief Pitcher: Zach Davis, Sr., Central Missouri
Catcher: Max Ayoub, Jr., Nebraska-Kearney
First Base: Mike Failoni, Sr., Lindenwood
Second Base: Cesar Wong, Sr., Central Oklahoma
Shortstop: Ross Wolfe, Jr., Southwest Baptist
Third Base: Dean Long, Jr., Emporia State
Outfield: Clayton Garland, Sr., Fort Hays State
Outfield: Justin Harris, Jr., Emporia State
Outfield: Ryan Degner, Jr., Missouri Western
Designated Hitter: Chance Wolfe, Fr., Southwest Baptist
Utility: Jake Alexander, So., Central Missouri
^= Four pitchers due to tie in the voting

Third Team All-MIAA

Pitcher: Ricky Rivera, Jr., Central Missouri#
Pitcher: Logan Willard, Sr., Nebraska-Kearney#
Pitcher: Jarrod Miller, Jr., Emporia State#
Pitcher: Ryker Fox, Sr., Northwest Missouri#
Relief Pitcher: Phillip Wilson, Sr., Central Oklahoma
Catcher: Jake Schrader, Sr., Missouri Western
First Base: Horace Johnson, Sr., Fort Hays State*
First Base: Jake Vore, Jr., Southwest Baptist*
Second Base: Landon Young, Sr., Southwest Baptist
Shortstop: Toby Cornejo, Sr., Emporia State
Third Base: Matt Johnson, Sr., Central Oklahoma
Outfield: Brandon Landanger, Jr., Nebraska-Kearney%
Outfield: Logan Moon, Sr., Missouri Southern%
Outfield: Christian Binger, So., Southwest Baptist%
Outfield: Trevor Jones, Sr., Central Missouri%
Designated Hitter: Barrett Noirfalise, Sr., Central Missouri
Utility: David Weber, Sr., Northeastern State
#= Four pitchers due to tie in the voting
*= Two first basemen due to tie in the voting
%= Four outfielders due to tie in the voting

Honorable Mention

Pitcher: Kurtis Schuyler, Central Missouri; Dakota McKaskle, Emporia State;Payton Walker, Missouri Southern; Jake Jones, Missouri Western; Tyler Thompson, Pittsburg State; Cory Borsh, Southwest Baptist; Taylor Gentry, Washburn

Relief Pitcher: Stephen Vaughn, Missouri Southern; Mason Queen, Missouri Western; Joe Smidt, Nebraska-Kearney; Ryan McKay, PittsburgState; Sam Vergara, Southwest Baptist

Catcher: Seth Wheeler, Central Missouri; Brad Lamberti, Central Oklahoma.

First Base: Ryan Staggs, Northeastern State; Matt Jackson, Washburn

Second Base: Dylon Koch, Missouri Western; Corey Gragg, Washburn

Shortstop: Brad Jelinek, Central Missouri; Cody Childs, Missouri Western; Andrew Walker, Northeastern State

Third Base: Tony Sandifer, Central Missouri; Brad Foss, Pittsburg State; Kyle Carnahan, Washburn

Outfield: Kevin Gratza, Central Missouri; Tyler Crabtree, Central Oklahoma; Dillon Argo, Central Oklahoma; Price Jacobs, Emporia State; Marshall Vallandingham, Lindenwood; David Chew, Missouri Western; Jon Pomatto, Northwest Missouri; Cody Ball, Pittsburg State; Bo Helsel, Southwest Baptist; Wes Jones, Washburn; Parker Gibson, Washburn
Designated Hitter: Cooper Langley, Fort Hays State; Taylor Herrington, Washburn

Utility: Kevin Czarnecki, Fort hays State; Ben Stewart, Lincoln; Ben Courdret, Lindenwood; Jerry Roam, Lindenwood.

— MWSU Sports Information —