Joplin, Mo. – The Missouri Southern softball program begins the Final Four portion of the 2021 MIAA Tournament tomorrow in Edmond, Okla. taking on Central Missouri at 5 pm at the Broncho Softball Field.
 
Matching up with the Lions (30-13-1) to begin the second week of the MIAA Tournament are the Jennies of Central Missouri (32-11). And in the first game of the day tomorrow it pits the Central Oklahoma Bronchos (33-10) and the Rogers State Hillcats (31-13-1) winners of seven-straight. Each of the top four teams advanced following last week's best-of-three game series held at their campuses.
 
The Tournament Schedule for this week is as follows
Thursday, May 13^th
Game 1: No. 1 Central Oklahoma versus No. 4 Rogers State at 2 pm
Game 2: No. 2 Central Missouri versus No. 3 Missouri Southern at 5 pm
 
Friday, May 14^th
Game 3: Winners of Game 1 and 2 at 11 am
Game 4: Losers of Game 1 and 2 at 2 pm
Game 5: Winner of Game 4 versus Loser of game 3 at 5 pm
 
Saturday, May 15^th
Game 6 Championship Game: Winners of Game 3 and 5 at 12 pm
Game 7 (If Necessary)
 
The third seeded Lions are the hottest team in the MIAA owning a ten-game winning streak. During this winning streak the Lions have comeback in every single game but one and have outhit their opponent in eight games. 
 
As a team, Southern is tied for first in Division II in triples (24), ninth in double plays turned (17) and triples per game (0.55), 12^th in stolen bases (98), 22^nd in stolen bases per game (2.23), and 28^th in sacrifice bunts (30). Leads the MIAA in double plays turned, stolen bases per game, sacrifice bunts, stolen bases, triples, and triples per game. Ranked second in the MIAA in scoring averaging 5.11 runs a game, third in on-base percentage (0.372), fifth in total runs (225), while being sixth in batting average (.297), ERA (3.21), and WHIP (1.45). 
 
Leading the charge individually for the Lions is Josie Tofpi hitting .400 (4^th in MIAA), with 36 runs scored (6^th in MIAA), 56 hits (3^rd in MIAA), 13 doubles (4^th in MIAA), while adding three home runs and 32 RBIs. Tofpi owns a .586 slugging percentage, a .455 on-base percentage (7^th in MIAA), while going 5-5 in stolen base attempts and recording a MIAA high 97 assists while reaching base in 11-straight games.
 
Utility player Kara Amos has been dominating with the bat and ball this season, hitting .345 with four home runs and 25 RBIs, drawing a team-high 18 walks and owning a .455 on-base percentage (8^th in MIAA). In the circle she owns the lowest ERA on the team at 2.64 (9^thin MIAA) in 77 innings appearing in 22 games going 10-5. Amos has walked only 20 batters, while striking out 54 and limiting opposing batters to a .253 batting average, has a WHIP of 1.29 (10^th in MIAA).
 
Coming in the clutch recently with a bases clearing triple to put the game away in game one of the MIAA Tournament against Missouri Western and the walk-off double in the nightcap Leighton Withers on the season is .339 with four triples (T-3^rd in MIAA), three home runs, a team-high 34 RBIs, slugging .563, a MSSU single-season record 12 hit-by-pitches, paired with a .449 on-base percentage and has reached base in 14 consecutive games.
 
Leading the MIAA and ranking third in Division II in stolen bases this season is Yazmin Vargas going 31-33 in stolen base attempts tied with Abi Corbett's 2016 season tally for the fifth-most steal in MSSU single-season history.
 
Catcher, Ashlynn Williams leads the team with five triples this season, the second most in the MIAA (15^th in Division II) and has a team-high .596 slugging percentage.
 
In the circle for Southern Abby Atkin owns a 9-5 record with a 2.96 ERA in 104 innings, limits opposing batters to a .270 batting average. Atkin joined the 200-career strikeout club becoming the 12^th pitcher to accomplish that feat and currently has 203 to be 10^th all-time in MSSU history.
 
Sophomore, Bailey Lacy owns a 10-2 record with a 3.24 ERA in 84.1 innings, limits opposing batters to a .262 batting average. Has struck out a team-high 84 batters (10^th in MIAA), while being third in strikeouts per seven innings (7.0), seventh in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.23) and 13^th in WHIP (1.35) in the MIAA.
 
Central Missouri leads the MIAA with a .312 batting average, scoring 5.04 runs per game and has the second-best ERA at 2.26. 
 
Leading the charge is Bailey Folwer who has a .374 batting average, 38 runs scored, 20 doubles, a team-high 34 RBIs, 24 walks drawn, a .611 slugging percentage to go with a .459 on-base percentage and is 10-14 for stolen bases.
 
Ashlyn Cook and Jessica Sader are tied for the team lead with seven home runs and with seven long balls. Abbey Fishcer leads the team in at-bats, hits and stolen bases going 20-23 on the base paths.
 
In the circle Paige Petefish owns a 1.84 ERA and a 15-3 record pitching 114 innings so far. Petefish has 102 strikeouts on the season and limits opposing batters to a .209 batting average.
 
Sadie Parks has a 1.92 ERA and a 10-3 record pitching 94.2 innings this season. Park has issued eight walks and struck out 84 batters for a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 10.5 and limits opposing batters to a .220 batting average.