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Missouri Western defeats Washburn for 18th straight, advances at MIAA Tournament

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EDMOND, Okla. – Four runs were enough again for the Missouri Western softball team on Friday as 2nd-seeded Griffons (36-14) defeated No. 3 seed Washburn (27-25), 4-1, to advance in the MIAA Championships and extend the team’s win streak to 18 games.

A huge two-out triple by Lauren Houston in the second put MWSU up 1-0. Houston tried to make it an inside the park home run but was thrown out at the plate. After the top of the order wasn’t able to make much noise early against Washburn starter Bailey Zuniga, they got hot the second time through. Brea Blanton led off the third with a single and scored one batter later when Morgan Frost reached on a throwing error. Frost got to third on the error that came while she was trying to sacrifice Blanton to second. Gabi Carter got Frost home one batter later with a double, prompting a Washburn pitching change. Sydni Hawkins gave the Griffs a three-run third with a one-out double that scored Carter.

Lexi Kinnaird (10-3) did her part with the help of her defense behind her. The senior pitcher allowed just one run on a solo homer through five innings. Kaili Hinds picked up her first save of the year, one night after getting a win in the circle. Hinds pitched two perfect innings with a pair of strikeouts.

After a four-pitch first inning, Kinnaird gave up a one-out double then a single in the second, but Frost, Houston and Hawkins combined to give their pitcher two outs, gunning down Winter Henry as she tried to sneak to second on the single. The first two Ichabods reached in the third on a double and a single, but Kinnaird got a big strikeout of leadoff batter Samantha Stallbaumer; a big defensive play on a squeeze attempt from Emma Hoffart for the second out and a pop up to wiggle out of the jam.

The Griffons’ 18th consecutive win didn’t come without a couple scares. Carter led off the fifth by reaching on a throwing error, but injured her leg trying to turn for second base on the errant throw. Shelby Uhl picked up a one-out single in the sixth, but the hit went off her thumb. Uhl remained in the game. Kaylyn Damgaard pinch ran for Carter and Blanton replaced her defensively.

Missouri Western will face No. 1-ranked Central Oklahoma in the championship game of the winner’s bracket on Friday at 3 p.m. The winner of that game will advance to Saturday’s MIAA Championship game. The loser will play again on Friday.

— MWSU Athletics —

Royals give up two in the ninth inning, lose to Rays 3-1

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Brandon Lowe followed a solid first month with a hot start to May.

The Tampa Bay rookie hit a two-run homer off Wily Peralta with two outs in the ninth inning, and the Tampa Bay Rays rallied to beat the Kansas City Royals 3-1 Thursday for a four-game split.

Lowe hit a changeup to right that just kept carrying and went over the wall.

“I didn’t know it was going to be a home run,” Lowe said. “As I was running, I was saying, `C’mon, get up.’ I was asking for it to do something for me. It wasn’t the intention in that at-bat. I was just trying to find a gap.”

Peralta (2-2) walked Daniel Robertson on four pitches leading off the ninth, and Lowe connected with two outs for his seventh home run this season.

Lowe’s average through the end of April with .289 with six homers and 17 RBI. He is 5 for 12 in May.

“He did it right again today,” manager Kevin Cash said. “He came up in a clutch situation. He got a pitch, and it kind of looked like he got out in front of it a little bit. But we’ve talked about his power. For not the biggest guy in the world, he can generate a lot of power.”

Whit Merrifield became the third player with a two-triple game this season for the Royals, who lead the major leagues with 17 in 32 games. His third-inning triple drove in Martin Maldonado, who beat out an infield hit and is 7 for 13 against Charlie Morton.

Merrifield entered 30 for 89 against the Rays.

“I saw the stat that he’s 30-for-90 against us in his career,” Cash said. “I would have guessed he was like 90-for-30.”AL East-leading Tampa Bay tied the score in the fifth on consecutive singles by Willy Adames, Nate Lowe and Guillermo Heredia.

Adam Kolarek (2-1) got the final two outs of the eighth, and Diego Castillo struck out two in a perfect ninth for his fourth save in as many chances. Tampa Bay won the season series 4-3.

Royals starter Danny Duffy allowed six hits in six innings, while Charlie Morton gave up five hits in 6 2/3 innings with nine strikeouts.

“He’s nasty,” Kansas City’s Alex Gordon said. “Usually I’m pretty frustrated when the offense only scores one run. But when the guy has stuff like that and commands it like that, it’s hard to hit.”

GETTING HOT

Hunter Dozier had two hits. Since an opening 3-for-27 slide, he is 30 for 69 (.435).

STAYING COLD

Chris Owings was 0 for 22 with 10 strikeouts against the Rays this season.

MOVES

Rays: RHP Austin Pruitt, the 26th man during Wednesday’s doubleheader, was returned to Triple-A Durham. Tampa Bay recalled RHP Casey Sadler from Durham for his second stint of the season following a one-day appearance on April 19. He pitched two scoreless innings in his major league debut.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rays: RHP Hunter Wood was put on the 10-day IL with right shoulder soreness.

UP NEXT

Rays: RHP Tyler Glasnow (5-0), who leads the AL with a 1.75 ERA, starts Friday at Baltimore.

Royals: RHP Jorge Lopez (0-2) starts Friday’s series opener at Detroit.

— Associated Press —

St. Louis drops series finale at Washington 2-1

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Stephen Strasburg reached 1,500 strikeouts in fewer innings than any pitcher in major league history, and the Washington Nationals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1 after a long rain delay Thursday to salvage the finale of a four-game series.

Despite the strong performance by Strasburg, the Nationals (13-17) fired pitching coach Derek Lilliquist after the game and replaced him with minor league pitching coordinator Paul Menhart. General manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement moments after the final out.

Strasburg (3-1) lasted 6 2/3 innings, giving up a run on six hits with two walks and nine strikeouts. He got opposing starter Dakota Hudson looking in the fifth for his eighth strikeout of the game and the 1,500th of his career — in 1,272 1/3 innings.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Boston left-hander Chris Sale held the previous mark, reaching 1,500 in 2017 after 1,290 innings.

Sean Doolittle struck out pinch-hitter Paul Goldschmidt with the bases loaded to end the eighth, then finished for his fourth save.

Hudson (2-2) allowed two runs, one earned, and four hits in six innings. Kolten Wong hit an RBI single and Yairo Munoz had three hits for St. Louis, which had won five straight.

The teams combined for 14 hits, all singles.

The Nationals scored twice in the fourth without an RBI.

Howie Kendrick came home when Munoz committed a throwing error from shortstop on Yan Gomes’ grounder, and Matt Adams scored from third when Brian Dozier grounded into a double play.

The start was delayed by rain for 2 hours, 32 minutes.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: RHP Luke Gregerson (shoulder impingement), who threw to seven batters during a pregame batting practice session Wednesday, came out of it fine, according to manager Mike Shildt. … OF Dexter Fowler (illness) was better Thursday and Shildt was hopeful Fowler would be available off the bench after missing two games.

Nationals: RF Juan Soto (back spasms) was a late scratch for the second straight game but was available to pinch hit. . Manager Dave Martinez said SS Trea Turner (broken finger) could begin swinging the bat this week. . INF Carter Kieboom, who was 3 for 22 since his major league debut, was given a day off.

PICKED OFF

St. Louis had runners on first and second with no outs in the third before Gomes picked off Matt Wieters at second base from behind the plate. Hudson then sacrificed Munoz to second and the Cardinals settled for one run on Wong’s single.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Jack Flaherty (3-1, 4.06 ERA) pitches when the Cardinals open a three-game series Friday at the Chicago Cubs. Flaherty has not allowed a run in 12 innings this season during day games.

Nationals: RHP Jeremy Hellickson (2-0, 5.82) starts when the Nationals open a three-game series in Philadelphia on Friday night. Hellickson pitched six shutout innings against the Phillies on April 10.

— Associated Press —

Griffons hang on to defeat Pitt State at MIAA Tournament for 17th straight win

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EDMOND, Okla. – Three unearned runs on two Pittsburg State errors were enough to give the Missouri Western softball team a 4-2 win in the opening round of the MIAA Softball Championships.

Missouri Western got off to a hot start, scoring two runs in the first. Brea Blanton led off the first with a double to center and scored one batter later on Morgan Frost’s 22nd double of the season. Two batters after Gabi Carter walked, a Sydni Hawkins fly ball to the warning track in right was dropped by the right fielder, allowing Carter to score. The top of the order produced again in the fifth. A fielding error by the Pitt State second baseman on a ground ball hit by Hawkins scored Blanton and Emma Hoffart to give MWSU a 4-0 lead.

The Softball Gods tried to get even with Hawkins in the sixth. A Hawkins error to lead off the top of the sixth put a runner on for Kala Holder who rocked a 1-1 Kaili Hinds pitch over the wall in left center to pull the Gorillas within two.

Hinds started the seventh by forcing a ground out, but walked the next two batters to put the go-ahead run at the plate. Jen Bagley Trotter brought Olivia Goodale in for Hinds to stop the Pitt State rally. Making her first appearance since April 12, Goodale picked up her MWSU single season record-tying fifth save of the year by getting a pop up and securing MWSU’s 17th consecutive win with a strikeout.

The Griffons advanced to face No. 3 seed Washburn for the second time in six days. The Ichabods defeated No. 6-seeded Emporia State 2-1 on Wednesday. Missouri Western took both games of a doubleheader from Washburn last week, 7-2 and 3-2.

NOTABLES

  • The win streak reached 17 games, the longest since Missouri Western’s MIAA-record 32-game win streak in 2009
  • Goodale tied Cheri Kempf and Angela Pettitt for the most saves in a season by a Griffon with five
  • Hinds won her 12th consecutive decision, scattering four hits and one earned run over 6 1/3 with six strikeouts and four walks
  • Frost needs just three more doubles to break Amy Beverly’s MWSU single-season record of 24
  • MWSU scored four runs on just four hits, with two from Blanton, one from Frost and one from Hoffart

— MWSU Athletics —

Royals rout Rays 8-2 to complete doubleheader sweep

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Glenn Sparkman and Kelvin Gutierrez were hanging out at Triple-A Omaha last weekend, the career reliever and young third baseman eagerly awaiting a call from the Kansas City Royals.

They both got it. And they both made the most of it.

Sparkman was recalled on Wednesday to start the second game of a doubleheader against Tampa Bay, and he merely breezed through seven innings of three-hit ball while outpitching reigning AL Cy Young winner Blake Snell in an 8-0 victory. Gutierrez hit his first homer in the second game to go with an RBI in the first, which Kansas City took by a 3-2 score.

“My focus today was just trying to stay relaxed. Don’t let the game get too big,” said Sparkman, who arrived in town about 1 a.m. and proceeded to earn his first major league win. “I knew I had to go out there and do my thing to get the sweep.”

In the opener, Adalberto Mondesi hit a two-run homer to highlight a three-run first inning for Kansas City, and Jacob Junis and the bullpen held on the rest of the way. Mondesi also drove in a run in the second game to cap a big afternoon, while Gutierrez’s homer off the foul pole helped him match a Royals record with seven RBI in his first five games.

It was the first time the Royals swept a doubleheader since July 7, 2015, when a team that would reach its second straight World Series also accomplished the feat against the Rays.

“The first game we scored three runs in the first and just could not tack on, and fortunately we were able to tack on in the second,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “We broke the game open.”

The sweep was especially eye-opening given Tampa Bay was coming off a club-record 19 wins through April, and the Royals had stumbled into the day having lost eight of their last 10.

“I mean look, doubleheaders are tough to begin with. I think you’ve got to give a lot of credit to the Royals,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “They came out and ready to go, two ballgames, sweep the doubleheader — whether you’re at home or on the road, that’s a difficult thing to do in baseball, and they just did it to what we would consider a good team.”

Junis (3-2) won his second consecutive start , both against the Rays, by allowing two runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings in the opener. The young pitcher walked two and struck out two.

The Royals jumped on Rays opener Ryne Stanek (0-1) when Whit Merrifield led off with a double and stole third before Mondesi drilled his fourth homer this season to right. Alex Gordon walked and later scored as the first four batters reached safely.

Ian Kennedy worked two scoreless innings for his second save in three chances.

The Royals kept rolling in the second game, getting the first of two RBI singles by Jorge Soler and Gutierrez’s homer to stake them to a 3-0 lead against Snell after the first inning.

Kansas City added another run in the third before a four-run fourth inning sent Snell to the clubhouse. The first six batters reached base in the frame on four hits and a pair of walks.

Billy Hamilton chased Snell (2-3) with an RBI single in the fourth, the third straight batter to reach to start the inning. By the time all three scored, Snell had allowed seven runs on six hits and three walks in his second start since a 10-day layoff for a broken toe.

“It was uncharacteristic,” Cash said. “He just never could get it right, for whatever reason.”

DOUBLE DIPPING

The doubleheader was caused by a rainout Tuesday night. The Rays don’t return to Kansas City, so with more rain looming on Wednesday night, the decision was made to start early and play a traditional doubleheader rather than a day-night set. The forecast looks good for the series finale Thursday.

STATS AND STREAKS

The last time the Royals swept a traditional doubleheader was Sept. 13, 2008, at Cleveland. … The Royals stole two bases in each game, giving them a league-leading 33 this season. … The seven runs Snell allowed were a career high. He had allowed just eight earned runs in his previous 28 1/3 innings. … The Rays’ Daniel Robertson and Ji-Man Choi homered in the ninth in the second game.

UP NEXT

Rays RHP Charlie Morton (3-0, 2.76) tries to remain unbeaten when the teams conclude a four-game set Thursday. LHP Danny Duffy (0-1, 5.40) is on the mound for the Royals.

— Associated Press —

Mikolas, Cardinals down Nationals 5-1 for fifth win in row

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Miles Mikolas outpitched Max Scherzer, Marcell Ozuna had three hits and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Washington Nationals 5-1 Wednesday night for their fifth straight win.

Jose Martinez drove in two runs for the Cardinals, who have won 10 of 11.

Washington has lost the first three games of the series and six of their last seven overall, and fell to 12-17.

The Cardinals touched up Scherzer (1-4) for three runs in the first as Victor Robles — playing right in place of Juan Soto, who was scratched from the lineup with back spasms — misread Ozuna’s flyball and it went for an RBI double. Martinez delivered a two-run single a batter later.

Scherzer pitched seven innings and struck out eight. He yielded eight hits, half of them coming in the first inning.

The Nationals mustered a run in the fourth, but couldn’t solve Mikolas (3-2), who was winless in his first three road starts this year. The right-hander gave up a run and seven hits while striking out four in six innings, and his final pitch resulted in a flyball to left by Michael A. Taylor fly that Ozuna caught while backed up against the door to the visitor’s bullpen.

St. Louis added two runs in the eighth off Joe Ross, ending the Washington bullpen’s scoreless streak at 16 innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: RHP Luke Gregerson (shoulder impingement) threw to seven batters during a pregame batting practice session. “Stuff looked good. He had some later movement to his ball, had some finish to his pitches,” manager Mike Shildt said. “We’ll see how he recovers and based on that and based on the next couple days we’ll find the right spot to get him activated.” . OF Dexter Fowler (illness) was unavailable for the second game in a row.

Nationals: Soto, who is hitting .248 with six homers and 22 RBI, had played every inning in each of Washington’s first 28 games before he was scratched from the original lineup. He was available but was not used off the bench.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Dakota Hudson (2-1, 5.63 ERA) looks to win his third consecutive start. He is 1-0 with a 7.71 ERA in four lifetime appearances (all in relief) against Washington.

Nationals: RHP Stephen Strasburg (2-1, 3.82) faces the Cardinals for the first time since 2016 as the four-game series concludes.

— Associated Press —

Seven Griffons earn All-MIAA softball honors; Frost, Blanton named 1st Team

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EDMOND, Okla. – Seven members of the Missouri Western softball team were named All-MIAA as announced Wednesday morning.

Headlining the group for Missouri Western were first team selections Morgan Frost (OF) and Brea Blanton (DP). Named to the second team were Kaili Hinds (P) and Sydni Hawkins (2B). Honorable Mention selections included Gabi Carter (1B), Emma Hoffart (3B) and Cassidy Kelsheimer (C). All seven were first-time All-MIAA selections and the group of honorees included two freshmen in Blanton and Hawkins; two sophomores in Hinds and Hoffart; and three seniors.

FIRST TEAM ALL-MIAA
Morgan Frost, Outfield
Frost finished the regular season leading the team in batting average (.409), hits (63), doubles (21), slugging percentage (.675), on base percentage (.452) and was tied for the team lead with a 1.000 fielding percentage. She ranked fifth in the MIAA in batting average, eighth in slugging percentage, sixth in hits and second in doubles. Her 21 doubles are the second most by a Griffon in a single season, four shy of Missouri Western’s single season record.

Brea Blanton, Designated Player
Blanton didn’t figure into the starting lineup early in the season, but quickly showed she couldn’t be left off the field. The freshman finished second on the team with a .383 batting average, but spent most of the season batting over .400. After being inserted as a starter on Feb. 23, Blanton’s season ending batting average was the lowest it ever dipped, getting at least one hit in all but six of her 35 starts. Blanton finished the regular season with six home runs and 34 RBIs.

SECOND TEAM ALL-MIAA
Kaili Hinds, Pitcher
The most consistent pitcher in the Griffons three-woman rotation, Hinds led the Griffon staff through the regular season with 15 wins, a 2.85 ERA, 11 complete games and 81 strikeouts. Hinds hasn’t lost a decision since March 8, taking 11-straight winning decisions.

Sydni Hawkins, Second Base
After taking over the starting second base position on March 18, Hawkins added 114 points to her batting average, finishing with a .364 average. The freshman had a 15-game hitting streak snapped in the final week of the regular season, but went 2-for-2 with three RBIs in her final regular season game. Hawkins was charged with just two errors on the season and led all MIAA second basemen in batting average, doubles, stolen bases and fielding percentage.

HONORABLE MENTION ALL-MIAA
Gabi Carter, First Base
Carter didn’t miss a start in either of the last two seasons. She moved to first base after playing third last year and finished second on the team with seven home runs.

Emma Hoffart, Third Base
Carter’s move to first made room for Hoffart and third and she took over in her sophomore season, batting .358 with a team-high eight home runs and 40 RBIs. Playing the hot corner for practically every inning this season, Hoffart fielded at a .949 average.

Cassidy Kelsheimer, Catcher
In her only season as a Griffon after transferring from Wichita State, Kelsheimer did not miss a single inning behind the plate, handling the team’s unique four-pitcher staff. The 25 stolen bases against Kelsheimer were the fewest in the MIAA. She throughout the second most would-be base stealers in the association with 14 and her .641 stolen base against average was the second lowest in the MIAA.

The Griffons entered the MIAA Championships as the No. 2 seed, scheduled to play Pittsburg State at 6:30 p.m. in Edmond, Oklahoma.

— MWSU Athletics —

Northwest’s Kaitlyn Weis named Honorable Mention All-MIAA

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Northwest Missouri State University junior shortstop Kaitlyn Weis has been named to the 2019 All-MIAA honorable mention softball team.

Weis (Gretna, Nebraska/Skutt Catholic HS) led the MIAA in slugging percentage (.776). Weis set the Northwest single-season record for slugging percentage in a season for the second straight season. Weis had a .743 slugging percentage in 2018. Her .776 slugging percentage this season is the highest in the MIAA since 2016 (Kate Ruwe, Nebraska-Kearney – .899).

Weis also topped the Bearcats in batting average (.383), doubles (10), home runs (10), total bases (83), walks (14), on-base percentage (.455) and assists (59).

2019 MIAA Postseason Award
Player of the Year: JoBi Heath – Central Oklahoma
Defensive Player of the Year: Kala Holder – Pittsburg State
Pitcher of the Year: Bailey McKittrick – Central Oklahoma
Freshman of the Year: Carlee Liesch – Nebraska Kearney
Coach of the Year: Cody White – Central Oklahoma

2019 All-MIAA Teams
First-Team
Pitcher: Bailey McKittrick – Central Oklahoma
Pitcher: Sydney McLeod – Central Oklahoma
Catcher: Alexis Howe – Nebraska Kearney
First Base: Carli Jones – Central Oklahoma
Second Base: Kaity Kukowski – Pittsburg State
Shortstop: Taylor Kirk – Washburn
Third Base: JoBi Heath – Central Oklahoma
Outfield: Hazel Puempel – Central Oklahoma
Outfield: Morgan Frost – Missouri Western
Outfield: Carlee Liesch – Nebraska Kearney
Outfield: Samantha Stallbaumer – Washburn
Designated Player: Brea Blanton – Missouri Western
Utility/Pitcher: Stormee Galka – Lindenwood
Utility/Non-Pitcher: Kala Holder – Pittsburg State
Includes Ties In Voting

Second-Team
Pitcher: Taurean Guzman – Missouri Southern
Pitcher: Kaili Hinds – Missouri Western
Pitcher: Gail Young – Northeastern State
Pitcher: Halle Brin – Pittsburg State
Pitcher: Raegen Hamm – Washburn
Catcher: Sara Breckbill – Fort Hays State
First Base: Camryn Pryor – Lincoln
Second Base: Sydni Hawkins – Missouri Western
Shortstop: Austine Pauley – Lindenwood
Third Base: Cheyenne Hamilton – Nebraska Kearney
Outfielder: Lexy Dobson – Central Oklahoma
Outfielder: Bailey Thompson – Central Oklahoma
Outfielder: Lauryn Deer – Central Missouri
Designated Player: Gabby Biondo – Emporia State
Utility/Non-Pitcher: Winter Henry – Washburn
Includes Ties In Voting

All-MIAA Honorable Mention
Central Missouri: Alexa Bradley – Pitcher, Ashlyn Cook – Outfield, Hailey Crabtree – First Base, Taylor Dames – Outfield, Alexis Koop – Second Base, Makenzie McAtee – Designated Player, Jessica Sader – Pitcher

Central Oklahoma: Allie Eicher – Designated Player, Casady Webb – Second Base

Emporia State: Cassidy Beem – Catcher, Kenzie Garvin – Outfield, Valerie Kinney – Utility/Non-Pitcher, Hannah Steeby – Shortstop

Fort Hays State: Terran Caldwell – Outfield, Hailey Chapman – Pitcher, Lily Sale – Shortstop

Lincoln: Jordan Lawson – Outfield

Lindenwood: Hannah Porter – First Base

Missouri Southern: Lexi Ferrari – Utility/Non-Pitcher, Makaila Leonhart – Second Base, Josie Tofpi – Shortstop

Missouri Western: Gabi Carter – First Base, Emma Hoffart- Third Base, Cassidy Kelsheimer – Catcher

Nebraska Kearney: Sarah Handrahan – Pitcher, Alexis Ray – Outfield, Sara Sempek – First Base

Northeastern State: Haley Acrey – Third Base, Alyssia Crick – Designated Player, Sierra Crick – Outfield, Kyla Ibarra – Catcher, Maddie Boyd – Second Base

Northwest Missouri: Kaitlyn Weis – Shortstop

Pittsburg State: Dru Collins – Pittsburg State, Makenzie Goswick – First Base

Washburn: Brianna Fuchs – Outfield, Savannah Moore – Third Base, Bailey Zuniga – Pitcher

— Northwest Athletics —

Griffons open MIAA softball tournament Wednesday vs. Pitt State

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ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western enters this week’s MIAA Softball Championships as the hottest team in the MIAA and one of the hottest teams in the nation.

Missouri Western ended the regular season by sweeping eight consecutive MIAA doubleheaders and working its way into second place in the MIAA standings. The Griffons’ 16-game winning streak is the third longest current streak in NCAA Division II softball. The longest current win streak in the nation belongs to Winona State which has won 30-straight games following a 1-0 loss to the Griffons in St. Joseph on Mar. 23.

The rise to a second place finish for the team picked fifth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches’ Poll isn’t about the streak, though; it’s about a team that rebounded from a 1-3 start in conference play. The Griffons were 18-14 and 5-5 in the MIAA when the winning streak began. They ended the regular season 34-14 with a 21-5 MIAA record.

TOTAL TURNAROUND
Lost in the streak is MWSU winning five of seven leading into the eight consecutive doubleheader sweeps. That’s where it began. Still, through the first 32 games of the season, the Griffons posted a .301 batting average with opponents batting .305. The Griffons averaged just over five runs per game and gave up close to five. The pitching staff had posted a 4.32 ERA with a 1.69 WHIP, walking 91 batters through 212 innings and striking out 129. During the winning streak, the Griffons batted .338 and averaged 7.25 runs per game. Opponents batted .229. The staff ERA was 1.73 with a 1.11 WHIP, walking about a third as many batters as Griffon pitchers struck out and only allowing 1.9 runs per game.

THE MATCHUP 
Wednesday, MWSU will play as the No. 2 seed in the MIAA Championships, facing No. 7 seed Pittsburg State. The win streak hit 12 when MWSU swept the Gorillas (13-3, 7-2) in Pittsburg on April 13.

The Griffons enter batting .313 and averaging just over six runs per game with the second most runs scored in the MIAA. MWSU is tied for the most doubles in the conference at 97; and ranks third with 38 home runs. The Griffons also rank second in the MIAA with 38 sacrifice hits, showing the ability to play small ball or go deep. In the circle, MWSU has a 3.44 ERA with four shutouts and a 1.49 WHIP.

Pittsburg State is batting .280 as a team with its opponents hitting .302. The Gorillas average just under five runs per game. The Gorilla pitching staff has a 3.88 ERA with a 1.59 WHIP.

YOUTH MOVEMENT
The Griffons boast seven returning seniors, but three of the team’s top four hitters entering the postseason are in their first or second season of collegiate softball. Freshman Brea Blanton’s .383 average is second best on the team and her six home runs and 34 RBIs both rank third on the team. Another freshman, Sydni Hawkins, enters batting .364, but led the team with a .408 average through the win streak. Hawkins recently had a 15-game hitting streak snapped. Sophomore Emma Hoffart has pushed her average to .358 and leads the team with eight home runs and 40 RBIs. Sophomore pitcher Kaili Hinds leads the team with 15 wins and a 2.85 ERA. She hasn’t lost a decision since March 8 when she fell to 4-3 on the year.

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
It’s not just the starters that make MWSU a threat in the postseason. Lonnie Groves and Tamara Hicks started 27 games combined this year and every game last year and give the Griffons experienced bats off the bench. Freshman Marissa Guenther has 10 starts this year filling in for Shelby Uhl during an injury late in the season. An almost unprecedented experiment in the circle has paid off for Jen Bagley Trotter. The Griffons enter the postseason with a three-person rotation and Oliva Goodale pitching exclusively out of the bullpen. Goodale has held hitters to a .160 average, allowing just one run in more than seven innings over the last 16 games. In that same span, Kenzie Hilzer is 4-0 with a 1.35 ERA, a one-hit shutout and a save. Hinds is 7-0 with a 1.64 ERA and two shutouts during the streak with 32 strikeouts to 12 walks. Lexi Kinnaird is 5-0 with a shutout and four walks to 16 strikeouts in her five starts over the last 16 games.

MILESTONE SEASON FOR JEN BAGLEY TROTTER
In her 18th season as head coach at MWSU, Jen Bagley Trotterbecame the all-time wins leader among MIAA head coaches with her 615th career victory on March 23 over then No. 22 Winona State. That milestone came after her team scored six unanswered runs to come back and defeat Concordia-St. Paul on Feb. 1 to give Trotter her 600th victory. The four-time MIAA Coach of the Year enters the week with 632 career victories. She has led MWSU to two MIAA regular season titles and two MIAA postseason championships. The Griffons have now posted 13, 30-win seasons in her tenure and are in position for their 11th NCAA Central Region appearance under Trotter.

SUCCESS AGAINST OTHER HOT TEAMS
The only two teams with longer current win streaks than MWSU are Winona State and Arkansas Tech. The Griffons posted a win against now No. 7 Winona State earlier this season and suffered an early season loss to Arkansas Tech. MWSU opened the season by splitting a doubleheader with Minnesota State which owns the fifth longest win streak in the country at 13 games. The Griffons also defeated a Concordia-St. Paul that has won 10-straight for Trotter’s 600th win.

— MWSU Athletics —

Lafayette graduate Caleb Bennett transferring to Missouri Western

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Courtesy Lehigh Athletics

Lafayette High School graduate Caleb Bennett announced on Twitter Tuesday afternoon that he will be returning to St. Joseph to play basketball at Missouri Western this fall.

The former Fighting Irish All-Stater has spent the last two season at Division I Lehigh in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Bennett tore his ACL this past season for the Mountain Hawks as he played in 23 games and averaged 4.7 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. As a freshman during the 2017-2018 season, Bennett played in 30 games and made one start. He averaged 5.5 points and 2.3 rebounds and shot 41.2 percent from the three-point line.

Bennett graduated from Lafayette in 2017 and was first team All-State as a senior after averaging 16.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.

When Bennett signs his letter of intent with Missouri Western he’ll be the sixth recruit in the Class of 2019 and the first transfer for MWSU head coach Sundance Wicks.

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