Joplin, Mo. - Softball was back in Joplin to host its first series of back-to-back conference doubleheaders against the Tigers of Fort Hays State on Friday, March 29. The Lions won two defensive battles as they swept the Tigers with two homeruns on the day and a walkoff. The Lions advance to 27-10 (7-3 MIAA) on the season.
Missouri Southern vs. Fort Hays State - Game One
W, 5-2
Katie Gray got the Lions on the board first with a RBI single to left field which drove in
Kylee Jacks, who singled to lead off the game, as the Lions took the early 1-0 lead in the first. After a one-score return from the Tigers to tie the game,
Abby DeSanto hit a solo homerun to center field to give the Lions the lead back in the second. The Lions added two more runs in the bottom of the third with an RBI single from
Kara Amos and a
Carsen Tinkler RBI double to increase the Lions lead to 4-1. The Lions added one more insurance run from a wild pitch with bases loaded that scored
Carsen Tinkler to give the Lions a 5-1 lead going into the seventh. The Tigers could only score one run in the seventh as the Lions would take game one, 5-2.
Kiki Pickens (8-5) picked up the win for the Lions and pitched a complete 7.0 innings and gave up five hits and two runs while striking out six of the 27 batters she faced.
Missouri Southern vs. Fort Hays State - Game Two
W, 4-3
The Tigers struck first in game two with a run in the top of the second.
Kate Thurman tied the game in the bottom half of the second with an RBI single to left-center field to drive in
Katie Gray, who doubled to get on base prior.
Kara Amos gave the Lions the lead with back-to-back fourth and fifth inning RBIs with a solo homerun in the fourth and a RBI single in the fifth to give the Lions a 3-1 lead. The Tigers fought back in the sixth as they tied the game again with two runs. The Lions defense fought back from two Tiger hits and bases loaded in the top of the seventh to get the third out before a run could score.
Yazmin Vargas reached second base on an error as the leadoff, which set up
Taylor Nuckolls to hit her third walkoff RBI of the season with a single to right field to give the Lions the win and sweep in game two, 4-3.
Kiki Pickens (9-5) picked up another win for the Lions and relieved the final 0.2 innings, which held all three Tigers on base in the top of the seventh, and gave up zero hits and zero runs before getting one huge strikeout in the three batters she faced.Â
Up Next
The Missouri Southern Softball team will be back at home tomorrow, March 30, to host another conference doubleheader against Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday at 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM at Pat Lipira Softball Complex.
