St. Joseph, Mo. – The Missouri Southern softball program fell to Missouri Western today 3-2 and 5-4 in tight affairs within Griffon Park.
 
The Lions (24-21, 12-10 MIAA) got out to a quick 2-0 lead in game one capitalizing off two errors by the Griffons (23-20, 13-9 MIAA) as Josie Tofpi and Ashlynn Williams scored. Missouri Western would threaten to respond in the bottom half but a fielders choice and back-to-back strikeouts by Bailey Lacy kept it 2-0 Lions after one.
 
The Griffons would get two runs in the third to tie it up 2-2 but the Lions had runners on second and third following a double steal but could not score in the fourth. Missouri Western would take the lead 3-2 on a bang bang play at the plate trying to turn a double play but the Lions kept it to only one run in the inning. The Lions would get a runner on base in the fifth and sixth inning but could not score another run as the Griffons got the 3-2 comeback descision.
 
Adrianna Young finished the game going 2-for-3 while Tofpi, Williams and Abby Desanto collected a hit as well. Avery Tallman came in for the final 2.2 innings where she shutout the Griffons.
 
In game two Missouri Western scored two runs in the first and second inning for a 4-0 lead. The Lions would shut out the Griffons for the next four innings and would get runs on the board in the sixth as Ashlynn Williams and Adrianna Young picked up an RBI each.
 
Southern tied it up in the seventh 4-4 thanks to a Josie Tofpi RBI and Abby DeSanto crushing one over left field for her fourth home run of the season. Missouri Western would end the celebration in the bottom half of the inning with a walk-off hit for the 5-4 win.
 
Abby Desanto went 2-for-4 with the home run while Tofpi, Williams and Young collected an RBI. Bailey Lacy collected three more strikeouts to inch her closer to 200 in her career.
 
Single Season Ranks Update
Yazmin Vargas: Moves into a tie for 8^th with Carrie Carter (1992) with 44 runs scored this season.
Ashlynn Williams: Moves into a tie for 5^th with Diane Miller (1992) with 43 RBIs this season.
Bailey Lacy: Moves into 11^th passing Britany Hargis (2000) with 110 strikeouts this season just two away from overtaking Hailey Kinnson (2014) for 10^th.
 
Career Ranks
Bailey Lacy: Is now 3 strikeouts away from becoming the 13^th Lion to have 200 strikeouts in the Green and Gold and the 6^th to do so in their first two seasons.
Josie Tofpi: Moved into 6^th in runs scored with 117 passing Alese Woodlard (2002-05) and 12^th in assists with 332 passing Kim House (1986-87).
 
Up next for the Lions is Newman on Saturday April, 30^th and Central Oklahoma on Sunday, May 1^st at 1:00 and 3:00pm approximately both days with the games being pushed back a day due to forecasted weather in the Joplin area. Senior, Kristen Wade and Tori Frazier will still be honored after the games against Central Oklahoma.