Joplin, Mo. -- Whitney Clute pitched a
complete-game, four-hit shutout in the opener, but the Lions fell
in extras in the night cap, splitting a double-header with
Northeastern State today at Kungle Field.
Southern (14-28-1) won the opener 1-0 behind Clute's masterful
performance in which the senior from Webb City struck out the side
in the first two innings en route to eight punch outs on the night.
She walked none and limited the Riverhawks to just four
hits.
Not to be out done, NSU's (13-27) starter and former Lion Lacee
Craig threw six innings, and allowed just one run, while striking
out two and allowing five hits to the Lions as the opener took just
one hour and 13 minutes to complete.
The Lions got their run in the fourth as Grass singled to start
the inning and moved up to second on an error by the right fielder.
She was pinch-ran for by Kiley Siebenaler and Siebenaler moved to
third on a sacrifice bunt from Clute. She then scored when Megan
Roark doubled to the fence in right center.
Kelli Bax, Grass, Roark, Angie Turner and Natalie Nelson had
hits for the Lions in the opener.
In game two, NSU's starter Cayce Coleman and the Lions Tiffany
Bennett matched pitch-for-pitch in the first four innings as
neither pitcher allowed a run. The Riverhawks, however, scored two
runs in the top of the fifth on an RBI single from Ashley Rogers
and a sacrifice fly from Lisa Ripperger.
The Lions answered back with a run in the sixth and another in
the seventh to tie the game and force extras. An RBI double from
Angie Turner scored the first run in the sixth and Jessica Brooks'
sacrifice fly in the sixth scored the tying run.
That forced extra innings, and NSU took advantage of the
international tiebreaker that puts a runner on second to start the
inning and plated five runs in the frame to take the win.
Seven different Lions had a hit each in game two, as Brooks and
Turner drove in a run each. Bennett went eight innings, and allowed
six earned runs, while striking out three and walking just
one.
The two teams will be back at it tomorrow afternoon with a
double-header beginning at 2 pm at Kungle Field.
