Southern softball splits two at Eight State Classic

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Closing out action at the UAM Eight State Classic Sunday, the Missouri Southern softball team split a pair of games falling to William Jewell 6-1 before defeating Southwestern Oklahoma State 7-2.

The Lions (2-4) were led offensively on the afternoon by senior third baseman Brooklyn Farrell, who went 3-for-5 with a double and RBI. Shelby Romines, Dawn Grass and Brooke Swadley also collected three hits each as the trio as combined to hit three doubles, a home run, drive in four runs and score two runs. In all, eight different players got at least one hit, including freshman Jessica Castoe, who collected her first as a Lion. Haley Kinnison picked up her second win of the year as she pitched four innings against the Bulldogs allowing only one hit and two runs while striking out three. Shelby Mitchell came on in relief to pick up her first career save.

William Jewell 6, Missouri Southern 1
The visiting team in game one, Southern got on the board first as they picked up a run in the top of the first on aAlexah Replogle RBI single to center field plating Swadley from third. Unfortunately, the Lions were unable to tally anymore runs in the frame as they left the bases loaded.

Making her first career start in the circle, Mitchell surrendered no hits in her first two innings of work, but ran into trouble in the third when the Cardinals scored a pair of one-out runs chasing Mitchell from the game. Sarah Williams came on in relief as she got the next two batters to lineout and groundout, respectively, ending the threat. Williams' fortunes faded in the fourth as William Jewell hit a three-run home run to center field to take a 5-1 lead and added a run in the fifth to win by a final of 6-1. Grass went 2-for-3 from the plate while Farrell picked up a double.  

Missouri Southern 7, Southwestern Oklahoma 2

Playing as the home team in game two, the Lions gave up a run in the top of the first to the Bulldogs, but quickly answered right back in the bottom of the second on a RBI double to left field by Swadley driving in Rominies from second base. Southern added two runs in the third as Alana Hester led off the inning with a single. After stealing second, her fourth stolen base of the year, Grass doubled to right field plating Hester. After Replogle pinch ran for her, she came around to score a RBI single by Farrell to right field giving Southern a 3-1 lead.

Southern made it 4-1 after four thanks to Swadley's first career home run as she nailed a pitch to left field. After Southwestern got a run back in the fifth, the Lions put the game on ice with three runs in the bottom of the fifth as Castoe, Michala Wood, and Farrell all came around to score. Sending the Bulldogs down in order in the sixth, Mitchell gave up a leadoff single in the seventh, but then went 1-2-3 again as she picked up her first collegiate save. Romines and Swadley each went 2-for-3 from the plate in the second game. 

Southern returns to action on Saturday when they play their home opener against Drury (1-9) in a double-header starting at 1 p.m. at Lea Kungle Field.