Tahlequah, Okla. - The Missouri Southern Softball Lions split their final double header of the 2016 season Saturday afternoon defeating Northeastern State 5-2 in game one before falling 7-6 to the RiverHawks in game two.

Game One
Northeastern State had a chance to break the opening game of the double header wide open in the bottom of the second as the RiverHawks loaded the bases with three walks and with two outs senior starting pitcher Ashley Lutz got Jessica Boone to fly out to sophomore left fielder Abi Corbett to end the threat. In the next half inning it was Southern's turn to threaten the shut out as junior Sydney Fry led off with a single to right and was sacrificed to second by freshman Kylie Wesbrooks, a throwing error by the Northeastern State second baseman allowed Fry to score to make it 1-0 Lions. With the bases now empty senior Alana Hester and sophomore Abi Corbett stroked back-to-back singles before senior Sarah Williams sent an 0-1 pitch over the center field fence at RiverHawks Field to make it 4-0 Southern. The Lions added another run in the top of the seventh when with one out Hester singled to left field and was sacrificed over by Corbett, on the same play Hester then stole third and home to make it 5-0 Lions. Northeastern State would push two runs across in the bottom of the seventh on a double to left center and a sacrifice fly before a line out to Wesbrooks ended the game.

Lutz picked up her 14th win of the season going seven innings allowing two runs, both earned, on four hits with nine walks and five strike outs. Meanwhile, the Lions collected nine hits with two each coming from Hester, Corbett, and Fry. Williams, sophomore Myranda Stewart, and freshman Angel Badalamenti picked up the remaining three hits.

Game Two
Missouri Southern sent 10 batters to the plate in the opening frame of the night cap scoring six runs. Williams drew a bases loaded walk with no outs for the first run and Stewart hit a two run single to center to make it 3-0 before the first out was recorded. The bases were loaded again with a walk to Badalamenti and Williams scored on a wild pitch before a bases clearing triple by Fry made it 6-0 Lions. That would be all the offense Missouri Southern could muster as Northeastern State started to chip away in the bottom of the second with one run, then the RiverHawks added two in the third and four in the fourth to take the 7-6 lead. The Lions had a chance in the fifth inning to tie the game with runners on first and second in the fifth and two outs before a pitching change by NSU which resulted in a Fry strike out to end the threat. Then again in the sixth inning the Lions had a runner in scoring position with Hester getting on with a double down the left field line and stealing third but the next two runners grounded out to the second baseman and lined out to the third baseman to leave Hester stranded.

Freshman Taurean Guzman got the start for the Lions going three innings allowing three runs, all earned, on six hits with a walk. Lutz suffered the loss with two innings of relief work allowing four runs, three earned, on three hits with three walks and two Ks. Sophomore Kali' Hodson pitched the sixth innings allowing just two RiverHawks hits and struck out one.

On The Day
Five Lions hit above .400 on the day led by Hester who went 5-for-8 (.625) with three runs scored and two stolen bases. Both Corbett and Fry managed .500 for the day (3-for-6), while Stewart hit .429 (3-for-7) and Badalamenti went 2-for-5 (.400) with a walk.