Bentonville, Ark. - The Missouri Southern Lions split the opening pair of games at the University of Arkansas at Monticello Eight State Classic Friday afternoon/evening at Memorial Park in Northwest Arkansas.
Game One
In the first game of the day the Lions got a decisive win, 8-1, over the Drury Panthers. Juniors
Abi Corbett and
Shelby Friend led the offensive attack going 3-for-5 at the plate, Corbett scored three times while Friend scored twice and drove in two runs. Senior
Sydney Koch went 3-for-4 at the plate with a run scored while freshman
Erika Lutgen and sophomore
Angel Badalamenti drove in two runs each.
Southern scored first, plating a run in the third off a RBI single to center by Lutgen that score Corbett. The Lions tacked on a second run in the fifth off a RBI single to left from sophomore
Ashley Caldarella that scored Friend, who led off the inning plugging the left center gap for a stand up double. Drury made a pitching change to start the sixth and Southern took advantage of the fresh arm striking for four runs on five hits highlighted by a bases loaded two RBI single to right center from Badalamenti. After giving up a run in the bottom half of the sixth, the Lions got that run back and one more for insurance in the top of the seventh with RBI singles from Corbett and Friend.
Koch went the distance inside the circle for the win, holding the Panthers to just one earned run on three hits and struck out three.
Game Two
All of Southern's scoring offense came in the third inning of the contest with a one out two RBI single up the middle by Friend that scored Corbett and senior
Sarah Morrison. Henderson State chipped away at the lead from there on scoring one in the fourth and tying the game in the fifth on back-to-back doubles. The Reddies used a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh to squeak out the 3-2 win.
Junior
Myranda Stewart led the offensive attack in the second contest going 2-for-4 while Friend went 2-for-4 with two more RBIs. Freshman
Mikaela Cox got the start and went four innings allowing two runs, one earned, on six hits with a strike out. Sophomore
Taurean Guzman suffered the loss going two and two-thirds innings in relief allowing one run on one hit with a walk and a strike out.
On The Day
Friend finished the day going 5-for-9 with a pair of runs scored, a double, and four RBIs to lead the Lions. Lutgen finished 3-for-6 with two RBIs and Badalamenti had two RBIs to go along with her double. As a team Southern went 7-for-8 on stolen base attempts while their opponents were just 1-for-2. Sophomore
Kylie Wesbrooks was a perfect 2-for-2 on the base paths and five other Lions swiped a base. Koch registered a 1.00 ERA on the day with the seven innings allowing just the one earned run while Cox finished with a 1.75 ERA and Guzman tallied a 2.62 ERA.
Up Next
Southern will return to Memorial Park in Bentonville for two more games on the second day of the UAM 8 State Classic with a 9 a.m. tilt against Illinois-Springfield and a 1 p.m. game against Missouri-St. Louis. Live Stats for both games will not be available.
