JOPLIN, Mo.—The Missouri Southern State University Softball team used stellar pitching performances from junior
Abby Atkin and senior
Mikaela Cox to sweep the Northern State University Wolves, 9-2 and 3-1, during the Teri (Mathis) Zenner Memorial Classic on Saturday.
In the first game, the Lions broke through with a single run in their first at bat. After allowing a single run in the top of the second,
Lynnlee Parrott was clutch with a 2-out single to put the Lions up 3-1 in the bottom of the third.
Josie Tofpi hit her second straight double in the bottom of the fourth inning, this time a 2-out double to score two and push Southern, now 8-6 on the season, to a 5-1 lead.
The Wolves, who dropped their first two games of the season today, scored a single run in the top of the fifth inning before the Lions cashed in on an
Erika Lutgen bases loaded walk, a bases loaded hit by pitch for
Elizabeth Windsor and a 2-run double by Tofpi to close out the game.
Atkin earned the win and moved to 4-2 on the season as she allowed just two runs on five hits and four walks in the complete game showing.
Offensively, the Lions scored on nine hits and two walks as Topfi was 3-for-3 with three doubles and four RBI. She scored a single run while both Windsor and Meyer scored twice.
In the second game, Southern opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning as
Haleigh Scott singled up the middle to score Tofpi and
Makaila Leonhart. Scott the final RBI across in the bottom of the sixth as she had a single to score Leonhart.
In the game Southern had six hits. Cox earned the win with a complete game showing where she surrendered just one run on four hits and two walks. She had three strikeouts in the game.
Missouri Southern will be back in action on Sunday (Mar. 1) when they close out the tournament with a doubleheader against Missouri S&T with games scheduled for 1 & 3 p.m.
