Joplin, Mo. -- Missouri Southern used
four-straight singles in the bottom of the seventh in game two to
come up with a split with Truman State today in the final two games
of the regular season. The Lions lost the rain suspended game 1-0
to open the day, but rebounded to win 3-2 in the finale.
Southern (19-39-1, 8-12 MIAA) will now await their fate to see
if they have qualified for the MIAA Tournament to be held next
weekend in Overland Park, Kan. The Lions will need some help from
the teams around them to get in.
Truman (21-30, 8-10 MIAA) scored a run in the top of the seventh
to tie the game.
The Lions, however answered back with four-straight hits from
Kelli Bax, Breanna Volkmann, Angie Turner and the eventual
game-winner from Megan Roark that scored Bax.
Bax had two hits and a run in the game, as did Dawn Grass and
Natalie Nelson. Volkmann, Turner, Roark, and Jessica Brooks had a
hit each.
Tiffany Bennett started game two for the Lions and went five and
a third, striking out three and walking just one, while allowing
just one earned run, but got the no-decision. Whitney Clute threw
the final inning and two thirds to earn the win.
In game one, Truman starter Beth Schnurbusch went pitch for
pitch with Clute as the two both threw gems, but a run in the top
of the seventh was the decider and the Lions couldn't mount a
comeback as the game resumed today.
Bax again had a pair of hits, while Volkmann and Grass had a hit
each.
The Lions celebrated senior today as Bax, Turner and Clute
played their final game on the campus of Missouri Southern. Bax is
a three-year starter and she led the MIAA this season 191 at bats
and also led the league in games finished and pitched in as relief.
She tied a Southern single-game record earlier in the year with
four runs scored against Northeastern State.
Clute had one of the most memorable games in Southern history
last year when she hit three home runs and drove in seven runs
against Northwest Missouri at the Pittsburg State Tournament. She
was an All-MIAA selection a season ago.
Turner is arguably one of the best players ever in Southern
history. She is the all-time leader in home runs (26) and walks
(89), while setting the single-season record for walks this year
with 31. She ranks fourth in career RBIs (99), fifth in total hits
(181) and sixth in career batting average (.366).
