The Missouri Western softball team hit six home runs in a doubleheaders sweep against the Lincoln Blue Tigers on Saturday (April 12). Missouri Western took game one 8-1  before taking the twin-bill sweep 12-2 in five innings in game two. The Griffons hit three home runs in both games improving their record to 31-15 overall and 14-8 in MIAA play.

Game 1
MWSU 8
LU 1

Missouri Western scored in four of the seven innings earning an 8-1 victory over the Blue Tigers in game one. After getting down 1-0 after one the Griffons scored eight unanswered runs in the victory. The Griffons earn their 30th victory of the season with the win while senior Jackie Bishop improves to 20-7 on the season.

After getting down 1-0 after the first inning the Griffons responded nicely with four runs on six hits in the second inning. Brooke Schaben tied the score at one with a lead of homer. Taylor Anding singled and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kat Steponovich. Katie Kosterman doubled to centerfield and then Anding and Kosterman scored on a single to right center by Michelle Stevenson making the score 3-1. Later in the inning Stevenson scored on a Bre Fleschner single to shortstop giving the Griffons the 4-1 lead after two.

The score stayed that way until the fourth when the Griffons strung something together with two outs. Fleschner got hit by a pitch and scored after back-to-back singles by Washington and Gillaspy giving the Griffons a 5-1 lead after four. In the 5th Anding led off with her fourth homer of the season putting one more run on the scoreboard for the Griffons. The Griffons used the long ball once again in the 7th when Klosterman blasted her second homer of the season giving the Griffons an 8-1 lead after six and a half.

Taylor Schaben came in to relieve Bishop going two innings giving up one walk with one strikeout.

The Griffons had 15 hits in the game with all nine players getting a hit. Anding led the way going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Fleschner, Washington and Kosterman all had two hits as well.

The Blue Tigers had six hits with Kircher and Shantae Duren each getting two. Jessica Cook pitched just two innings in the loss. She went two innings giving up six hits and four earned runs. Alyssa Laudwig went five innings in relief giving up nine hits and four earned runs. Cook falls to 2-15 with the loss.

Game 2
MWSU 12
LU 2 (5 innings)

The Griffons jumped all over the Blue Tigers in game two scoring 11 runs in the first three innings of play picking up a 12-2 run rule victory. The Griffons pounded out 13 hits with eight extra bases hits in the contest. Gillaspy went 3-for-3 with five RBI, two runs scored on a double and two home runs. She has hit 11 home runs on the season.

In the first inning Fleschner led off with a double down the right field line and Washington got hit by a pitch. Gillaspy then blasted her first homer of the game giving the Griffons the 3-0 lead. Anding and Klosterman got hit by a pitch and advanced to second and third. Stevenson hit a sac fly and Rathman doubled giving the Griffons the 5-0 lead after one inning.

In the second two more home runs gave the Griffons an 8-0 lead after two. Gillaspy hit a solo homer and Steponovich hit her 7th homer of the year scoring Anding. In the third five more hits by the Griffons scored three more run. Washington and Gillaspy each got RBI hits while Washington scored on a passed ball.

The score stayed that way until Megan Korgie got her first hit of her career. She hit a double in the fifth scoring Washington giving the Griffons the 12-0 lead. Janie Smith gave up two runs on two hits in the 5th but picked up the victory. Smith improved to 11-8 going all five innings giving up four hits and one earned run with three strikeouts.

Washington and Stevenson both had two hits in the game. Washington scored three runs while Anding scored two.

The Blue Tigers fall to 3-34 on the season and 0-22 in MIAA play. They had four hits as Alyssa Laudwig got the loss. She gave up two hits and three runs.

The Griffons return to action on Friday, April 25 when they host Northeastern State University in an MIAA doubleheader. Game time is set for 4:00 pm.

— MWSU Sports Information —

The Missouri Western tennis team fell 9-0 in an MIAA match against the Southwest Baptist Bearcats on Saturday afternoon. The Griffons fall to 1-13 on the season and 1-8 in MIAA play.

The Griffons played pretty good against the Bearcats but could not get a point. In No. 3 doubles the duo of Alyssa Dougan and Margret Winter fell 8-3 against Andjela panovski and Paula Carvajalino while Kayla Dysart and Ceara Boldridge fell 8-2 against Fanni Varga and Christina Zentai in No. 1 doubles. Denise Chiao and Lindsay Beger fell 8-1 in No. 2 doubles.

In singles competition Dougan fell 6-2, 6-4 against Carrajalino at the No. 6 position while Beger and Boldridge fell 6-2, 6-2 at No. 4 and No. 5 singles respectively.

The Griffons return to action on Monday, April 14 when they travel to Liberty, Mo. to take on the Williams Jewell Cardinals at 3:00 pm.

— MWSU Sports Information —

The Missouri Western baseball team opened up a four game series by sweeping a twinbill with against the Pittsburg State Gorillas. The Griffons came from behind in game one winning 6-4 before picking up a 4-1 victory in the night cap. The Griffons have won six games in a row and sit at 21-14 overall and 17-11 in MIAA play.

Game 1
MWSU 6
PSU 4

The Missouri Western baseball team scored five unanswered runs picking a 6-4 victory in game one against the Pittsburg State Gorillas. Grant Woods went five innings giving up five hits and three earned runs picking up his third victory of the season. Mason Queen went two innings picking up his second save giving up one hit with two strikeouts.

The Pittsburg State Gorillas scored three runs in the first inning on three hits taking the 3-0 lead after a half inning. Jacoby Martin picked up a two RBI single in the inning for the Gorillas.

The Griffons were able to get one run in their half of the first when David Chew doubled in Dylan Koch cutting the Gorillas lead to 3-1 after one. After a Gorilla run in the third the Griffons put together a three run third inning tying the score at four. They used hits from Cody Childs and Dylan Koch to help tie the score.

The Griffons took their first lead of the day in the 4th as Jeremy Monty led off with a hustle double to left field. He later scored in unearned run on a throwing error by the Gorilla pitcher giving the Griffons the 5-4 lead. Hunter Weiss later scored on an error by the Gorillas first baseman giving the Griffons the 6-4 lead after four.

The rest of the way was all Queen as he gave up just one hits in the final two innings. Tyler Thompson falls to 4-5 for Pittsburg State going six innings with seven strikeouts. He gave up five hits and four earned runs.

The Griffons had just five hits with Chew going 1-for-3 with two RBI. The Gorillas were led by Andrew Kreiling with two of the Gorillas six hits.

Game 2
MWSU 4
PSU 1

In game two the Griffons got a solid pitching performance from Josh Lansangan as he went seven innings scattering four hits and striking out four. He improves to 2-1 with the victory. Tyler Sanders went two innings picking up hist fifth save of the season. He gave up one hit and one earned run with two strikeouts.

The Griffons got all the runs they would need in the third inning getting four hits and three runs. Dylan Koch and Ryan Degner hit back-to-back one out singles before Chew singled to the pitcher scoring Koch and Monty singling to left field scoring Degner. The third run came on a Matt Russell fielder’s choice which scored Chew.

Things stayed that way until the top of the 8th when the Gorillas got to Sanders picking up a run on a hit cutting the lead to 3-1. The Griffons responded in their half of the eighth when Jake Schrader singled down the left field line scoring David Chew.

The Griffons had 12 hits in the contest with Chew going 4-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.

The Gorillas fall to 15-24 and 10-20 in MIAA play with James Fitzgearlds going five innings giving up eight hits and three earned runs. He falls to 0-1 on the season.

The two teams will wrap up their series tomorrow with a doubleheader starting at 1 pm from the Griffon Baseball Field.

— MWSU Sports Information —

The Missouri Western softball team had their nine-game winning streak in game two against the Lindenwood Lady Lions falling 11-10 in 10 innings on Friday afternoon. Missouri Western won game one 4-3 and now sit at 29-15 overall and 12-8 in MIAA play. Freshman Sydney Washington went 5-for-10 with five runs scored and six RBI in the doubleheader.

Game 1
MWSU 4
LWU 3

The Griffons softball team picked up big victory in game one getting two, 2-run homers from Sydney Washington helping them to a 4-3 victory. The Griffons pounded out seven hits with Bre Fleschner going 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two doubles while Washington went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBI.

Jackie Bishop picked up her 19th victory of the season going all seven innings. She gave up five hits and two earned runs with six strikeouts.

The Lady Lions got five hits from five different players. Courtney Opick went 1-2 with two RBI and a run scored on a home run.

The Griffons jumped on top in the 3rd inning as they got four two out hits including Washington’s first home run of the day giving them the 2-0 lead after three and a half innings. The Lady Lions responded in their half of the 3rd when Opich blasted a homer to left center tying the score at two after three.

The score stayed that way until the 5th when Washington struck again with her sixth homer of the year and second of the game giving the Griffons the 4-2 after five innings. The Lady Lions made things interesting in the 6th getting the first two runners on and they advanced to second and third on a throwing error by Katie Klosterman.

Bishop gave up just one run getting out of the mess with getting a fly out to centerfield, a groundout to second base and a pop up to shortstop. The Griffons left one on in the 7th and shut down the Lady Lions in the 7th holding on for their ninth straight
victory.

Game 2
LWU 11
MWSU 10 (10 innings)

In game two the Griffons gave up a 6-1 lead falling 11-10 in 10 innings snapping a nine game winning streak. Bishop got the loss in releif falling to 19-7 with the loss. She 3.1 innings giving up five his and three unearned runs with four strikeouts.

Things looked goot for the Griffons in the first getting three runs on four hits. Fleschner led off with a double to left center and Washington singled to shortstop. Fleschner scored on a single by Gillaspy while Washington on a Brooke Schaben Gillaspy made it 3-0 when she scored on sacrafice fly by Taylor Anding.

In the bottom of the first the Lady Lions were able to score one run on one hit cutting the Griffons lead to 3-1 after one. In the second the Griffons got two more runs on three hits. Gillaspy got another RBI.

In the top of the fourth the Griffons went up 6-1 when Fleschner singled to center and later scored on a fielding error by the Lady Lions third baseman.

The next two innings belonged to the Lions as they scored seven runs on four hits claiming the 8-6 lead after five innings of play. The Griffons did not get anything going in the sixth but in the 7th they scored three runs on five hits taking a 8-7 lead heading to the bottom of the seventh inning.

The Griffons bought in Bishop for the save but she couldn’t get the job done giving up two hits including the two out hit to Opich which tied the game at eight. In the eighth neither team got anything going and in the ninth the Griffons stranded one runner while the Lady Lions stranded the bases loaded.

The went to the international tie breaker in the 10th with the Griffons getting the go ahead run on a sacrafice fly from Gillaspy. In the 10th the Lady Lions got two hits scoring two runs picking up the victory. They improve to 16-21 on the season and 9-11 in MIAA play.

The Griffons had 16 hits with seven of the Griffons getting at lead two hits. Washington had three hits, three runs scored and two RBI while Gillaspy had two hits with three RBI and a run scored. LWU had 14 hits with Opich getting three and Kitson four.

Janie Smith went five innings giving up eight hits and four earned runs. Ryndak got the victory for Lindenwood going 3.2 innings giving up four hits and one unearned run. She improves to 8-8 on the season.

The Griffons continue MIAA play Saturday morning with a doubleheader against the Lincoln Blue Tigers. First pitch is scheduled for 10 am.

— MWSU Sports Information —