Sunday, February 8, 2015

MSSU softball splits opening day games

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern Softball (1-1) split their opening day games in the Ronnie Hawkins Invitational on Saturday afternoon.
Game One
In their first game of 2015 the Lions came out of the gate hot as Southern plated three runs in the opening half of the first inning against Ouachita Baptist. Kat Goins-Osburn recorded the first RBI of the season as she singled home Alana Hester. The very next batter, Michala Wood would score both Goins-Osburn and Myranda Stewart on a deep single to right center. OBU would plate two runs in their half of the first to make the game 3-2, before the Lions would tack on a run in the third as Goins-Osburn scored once again following an error by the OBU left fielder.
OBU would add a run in the fourth and take the lead in the fifth as they scored three runs for the 6-4 lead. Southern chipped away at that lead in the sixth as Jessica Killer led off with a double to left center field and scored on a double from Dru Coleman. Coleman would have another two RBI in the seventh inning as she singled home Goins and Wood to give Southern a 7-6 lead headed into the home half of the seventh inning.
Ouachita would tie the game on a sacrifice fly and leave three stranded in the seventh to send the game into extra innings. Both teams would score one run in the eighth as the international tie breaker was used. Hester singled in Abi Corbett in the top  half of the eighth and OBU singled in their run.
The ninth inning, however, was a different story as Wood singled through the right side to put runners on the corners. Killer would ground out to second but score Goins-Osburn and Coleman would come through in the clutch again this time with a two run homerun to left center to give the Lions the 11-8 lead. The bottom of the ninth saw Ouachita score just one run off a double to left center before Ashley Lutz would get a fly out to end the game.
Sarah Williams started the game in the circle and went five innings allowing six runs, four earned, on six hits with one strikeout. Lutz came in relief in the sixth and pitched four innings allowing three runs, one earned, on three hits with seven strikeouts.
Game Two
Game two of the Ronnie Hawkins Invitational for the Lions was scoreless until the fourth inning as Brooke Swadley started the inning off with a walk followed by a single from Stewart, and error on the shortstop which loaded the bases. Wood would get her third RBI of the day off a sacrifice fly to left that scored Swadley.
Arkansas-Monticello would answer in the bottom half of the fourth as Halder singled home Rice following Rice's triple down the right field line.
Southern would get within one as Goins-Osburn led off the sixth inning with a solo shot to left field. That would be all the scoring the Lions could muster as UAM would add an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth for the 4-2 win.
Lutz got the start in game two and suffered the loss allowing three runs, all earned, on four hits in four innings of work. Shelby Mitchell came in relief in the fifth and pitched two innings allowing one run, unearned, on two hits.
On The Day
On the day Goins-Osburn led the way going 5-for-8 from the dish for a .625 average with five runs scored, two RBI, and one home run. Coleman barely missed the cycle going 3-for-7 with a single, double, and home run with five RBI. Swadley and Corbett combined went 3-4 in stolen bases for the Lions.
Up Next
The Lions are back in action tomorrow in the final day of the Ronnie Hawkins Invitational as they play Mississippi College at 11 am and co-host Henderson State at 3pm.

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