Durant, Okla. - The Missouri Southern Softball team split their opening games in the 2017 Southeastern Oklahoma Regional Invitational beating Southwestern Oklahoma State 7-4 before falling to 12th ranked St. Mary's (Texas) 2-1 in nine innings.

Southwestern Oklahoma State
Southern got off to a fast start scoring four runs in the bottom of the first off the Bulldogs. The first run came across on a bases loaded single by freshman Erika Lutgen that scored senior Sarah Morrison, then sophomore Angel Badalamenti singled in junior Abi Corbett. Sophomore Ashley Caldarella drew a bases loaded walk that scored freshman Emily Harris who was pinch running for red-shirt sophomore Bailey Skelton. Sophomore Kylie Wesbrooks reached on a fielder's choice that scored Lutgen for the fourth run of the inning.

After SWOSU got two runs back in the second, Caldarella led off the bottom of the third with a solo home run to left field to make it 5-2 Lions. The Bulldogs plated a run in the fourth and one in the fifth to make it a one run game at 5-4 before Southern would scratch across two in the bottom of the sixth on a double to center by Lutgen and a fielder's choice by Badalamenti.

Senior Sydney Koch got her first start and win for Southern going five innings and allowing four runs, one earned, on four hits with four strikeouts. Junior Shelby Friend came in to the one run ball game and tossed two innings and holding the Bulldogs to just one hit for the two inning save.

(12) St. Mary's (Texas)
The Lions once again struck first, as Corbett singled a bunt down the third base line and then advanced to second on the Rattler's throwing error and then scored on a deep single to left center by junior Myranda Stewart. St. Mary's tied the game in the bottom half of the frame with a RBI single to left of their own. The next five innings went scoreless until the bottom of the ninth when the Rattlers took advantage of a misjudged ball in right field for the game winning run.

Sophomore Taurean Guzman threw eight and a third innings for the Lions allowing just the two runs, one earned, on five hits with three strikeouts.

On The Day
Corbett picked up where she left off in 2016, leading the Lions in batting average, with a .571 (4-for-7) performance in the opening two games. Corbett also drew a walk and was a perfect 1-for-1 on stolen bases. Caldarella went 3-for-7 on the day (.429) with the solo home run and a pair of RBIs. Koch, Friend, and Guzman combined to hold their opponents to a .182 batting average and two earned runs on 10 hits.

Up Next
The Lions will face off against Rockhurst at noon and host Southeastern Oklahoma State at 2:30 on day two of the Invitational. Links to live stats and video can be found at mssulions.com