Tahlequah, Okla. - The Missouri Southern Softball team traveled to Tahlequah, Oklahoma to take on the Northeastern State Riverhawks in a conference doubleheader. The Lions bounced back from two losses at Rogers State with a sweep over the Riverhawks. The Lions advance to 25-10 (5-3 MIAA) on the season.
Missouri Southern vs. Northeastern State - Game One
W, 3-2
Kara Amos got the game started with a huge blast to left-center field that cleared the fence for a two-run homerun to give the Lions a 2-0 lead after the first inning. The Riverhawks were able to return with two unanswered runs over the next three innings to tie the game at 2-2 after four innings. The game remained tie until
Peyton Hawkins was able to give the Lions the go-ahead run with a bases-loaded wild pitch to take a 3-2 lead after the top of the seventh inning. The Lions defense held strong and closed out the game without giving up a run to win game one 3-2.
Natalie Bates (4-0) picked up the win for the Lions and pitched 2.0 innings and gave up one hit and zero runs while striking out one of the seven batters she faced.
Missouri Southern vs. Northeastern State - Game Two
W, 6-4
Taylor Nuckolls began game two with an RBI single to left field to give the Lions a 1-0 lead after the top of the first inning. After the Riverhawks returned with a run of their own in the bottom half of the first, both teams were scoreless until the sixth. The Lions added four runs off a fielding error, a
Kara Amos sacrifice fly and a huge two-RBI double from
Kate Thurman in the sixth inning to increase their lead to 5-1. The Lions shut down the Riverhawks in the bottom of the sixth to which they then added another run in the top of the seventh from a RBI-groundout from
Taylor Nuckolls to give the Lions a 6-1 lead with only three outs away from the victory. The Riverhawks began to find a rhythm in the seventh, adding three runs before the Lions recorded three outs and finished the sweep with a 6-4 victory.
Avery Tallman (6-0) picked up the win for the Lions and pitched 6.0 innings and gave up two hits and three runs before being relieved.
Lily Rand got her first save of the season after recording the last out for the Lions.
Up Next
The Missouri Southern Softball team will travel back to Joplin to host back-to-back conference doubleheaders against Fort Hays State on Friday, March 29, at 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM and Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday, March 30, at 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM at Pat Lipira Softball Complex.
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