Wichita Falls, Texas -- The Missouri Southern
softball team dropped a pair of games today in the final action of
the Midwestern State Tournament, falling 10-1 in five innings to
the host Mustangs and then 10-6 to Oklahoma Panhandle State.
Southern (1-5) could manage just two hits in game one against
the Mustang(8-2) hurlers, but a single from Jessica Brooks in the
fourth got things started. Jessica Johnson pinch ran for Brooks and
advanced to second on a wild pitch. After an error allowed Brooke
Hurley to reach, Krista Bomak singled home Johnson.
Kayce Moore started for the Lions as Kelli Bax and Whitney Clute
saw action in relief.
In game two, the Lions scored first as back-to-back extra base
hits from Brooks and Dawn Grass gave Southern an early 1-0
lead.
Panhandle (2-6) however scored three runs in the second and four
in the third to go up 7-1, before the Lions answered back with a
run of their own in the third when Clute singled home Kim
Diaz.
The Lions scored another in the fourth when Natalie Nelson
doubled and stole third and was then driven home on a double from
Bax. Panhandle scored single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh
innings, before Grass nailed her second homer of the tournament,
this time a three-run bomb in the seventh, scoring Bax and
Nelson.
Grass was 2-4 in the game with four RBIs, a double and a homer,
while Nelson also added two hits and two runs scored. Bax, Brooks,
Clute and Lauren Hasty all had a hit. Tiffany Bennett started,
while Clute and Moore pitched in relief.
Junior third baseman Megan Roark hit .400 in the tournament with
six hits, two doubles, a triple and three RBIs, while scoring a run
and was named to the All-Tournament team.
The Lions will be back in action on February 23 when they travel
to Northeastern State for a double-header beginning at 1 pm.
