Overland Park, Kan. - After winning with a walk off single against fifth seed Northwest Missouri in round one the Missouri Southern Lions (32-21) felt the sting of the walk off as they dropped the winner's bracket semi-final 7-6 to first seeded Missouri Western.
Game One
The Lions used extra innings to defeat the fifth seed Northwest Missouri State University Bearcats 3-2 in the opening round of the MIAA Post-Season Tournament.
Junior Breanna Volkmann led off the ninth with a double to right center and then advanced to third on a ground out by senior Megan Roark. Sophomore Jessica Brooks would then connect for a walk-off single through the left side of the Northwest Missouri State infield to score Volkmann.
Brooks led the way offensively for the Lions going 4-of-5 at the dish with the game winning RBI. Volkmann scored two of the three runs while junior Brianna Fulkerson, running for sophomore Dawn Grass, scored the remaining run.
Junior Nicole Reed (25-6) pitched all nine innings for Southern allowing two runs, both solo home runs by Bearcat Kit Daughtery, while striking out 10.
Game Two
Missouri Southern took an early 6-0 lead and chased the starting Western pitcher out of the game in the second inning. Freshman of the Year Jackie Bishop came in relief and held the Lions to zero runs as the Griffons came from behind and won in walk off fashion.
Volkmann led the way for Southern in the game going 4-for-4 at the dish with a walk and two runs scored. The first three innings saw Volkmann lead off the visitors' half with three singles and three stolen bases. Juniors Natalie Nelson and Lydia Niemegeers along with Grass and freshman Madison Reed completed the hits for the Lions.
Nicole Reed saw her 6-0 lead diminish to just two after giving up four unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth. Senior Tiffany Bennett (5-12) came into the game in the bottom of the seventh with a runner on and gave up the walk off single and suffered the loss.
Southern will face second seeded Emporia State University tomorrow at 11:00am, a win against the Hornets will send the Lions to the 1:00pm game against the winner of Washburn/Fort Hays State.
