Joplin, Mo. - The Missouri Southern softball program claimed their second MIAA sweep of the season beating Northeastern State 6-3 and 15-9 on Saturday Mar. 25th from the Pat Lipira Softball Complex.

The Lions (20-7, 5-1 MIAA) were led by Emily Perry in game one going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a home run, Kara Amos went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Yazmin Vargas went 2-for-2 with two runs scored. Bailey Lacy got the win with 3.2 innings of shutout relief while throwing three strikes. 

Northeastern State (18-11, 0-4 MIAA) scored first with two runs in the second and a single run in the fourth inning to take a 3-0 lead into the bottom half of the second. In the bottom of the fourth inning the Lions would get on the board with an infield hit by Abby DeSanto scoring Ashlynn Williams to cut the lead down to two, 3-1.

Southern got another run in the fifth with a bases loaded hit-by-pitch scoring Vargas, in the sixth inning the score shifted permanently in favor of the Lions with Perry's third home run of the season giving the Lions the lead and back-to-back RBI singles by Williams and Amos gave the Lions the lead and the game, 6-3.

Game two was the DeSanto home run show going 3-for-3 with three home runs, four runs scored and seven RBIs. Katie Gray went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and a homer, Josie Tofpi went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a home run as Bailey Lacy picked up her second win of the day with 3.2 innings of relief work and four strikeouts.

The RiverHawks scored in the first inning to begin the second game with a DeSanto two run homer to center field giving the Lions an early 2-1 lead. In the third inning Northeastern State scored three and in the fourth a further four to own an 8-2 lead heading into the bottom half of the inning. 

Southern scored nine runs in the bottom half of the fourth inning with back-to-back homers by DeSanto and Gray getting the scoring run started, Tofpi had a two run homer, DeSanto walked in a run, a Gray bases clearing double to right field gave the Lions a lead and an Adrianna Young bunt single to the pitcher scored Gray on the throwing error to make it 11-8 in favor of the Lions. The Lions would score again in the fifth with a Williams double down the left field line scored Tofpi and a three run homer by DeSanto made it a seven run lead. NSU homered in the sixth to get a run back as the Lions ran out 15-9 winners to sweep the visitors.

Up next for the Lions will be No. 2 Rogers State in an MIAA double header on Sunday Mar. 26th beginning at noon from the Pat Lipira Softball Complex.

Single-Game Update
Abby DeSanto - Tied a program record that is shared between Kasey Martin vs. Emporia State (Apr. 12, 2000), Whitney Clute vs. Northwest Missouri (Mar. 14, 2009) and Erika Lutgen vs. Illinois Springfield (Feb. 18, 2017) with three home runs. DeSanto had seven RBIs to tie Clute's performance against Northwest Missouri for the second most in a single-game.

Career Update
Bailey Lacy - Moved past Andrea Clarke (1991-92, 94-95) for fourth in strikeouts with 247 following her seven strikeouts thrown today. Read Full Article