JOPLIN, Mo. — The Missouri Southern softball team posted back-to-back shutouts against Southwest Baptist (8-0 & 2-0) inside Pat Lipira Softball Complex Wednesday afternoon.
The Lions’ (14-17, 5-9 MIAA) achieved that feat last year as well against Rockhurst and McKendree (3-0 & 1-0) in the first two games of the Teri Mathis-Zenner Memorial Tournament. They led off the next day by shutting out Sioux Falls (S.D.), 2-0 for the third in a row.
It is the first time that Southern pulled it off against an MIAA opponent since 2012 at home versus Northwest Missouri State (10-0 & 8-0).
Game One
The Lions jumped out to a 4-0 lead through five innings of play after junior Erika Lutgen knocked in all four runs. Lutgen recorded a pair of RBI-singles early on in the first and third innings to put Southern in front by two (2-0). She capped it off with a two-run home run over the left field fence to increase its lead over Southwest Baptist (3-26, 0-4 MIAA) to four in the fifth.
An inning later after the Lions added two more runs (6-0), Emily Harris came to the plate in the bottom of the sixth with the bases loaded. Harris smoked one into center field to score two runners on the play which ended the game toward a Lion’s game-one win, 8-0.
Senior pitcher Taurean Guzman (6-6) allowed only five hits while striking out five in sixth innings pitched toward her fourth complete game and third shutout of the season.
Lutgen finished game one perfect at the plate (4-for-4) while Makaila Leonhart, Josie Tofpi, and Harris each added a 2-for-4 line and combined for three RBIs and five runs scored.
Game Two
Just like Guzman, sophomore Abby Atkin (6-8) had it working in the circle as she recorded her sixth complete game and second shutout of the season. Atkin struck out five while limiting SBU to two hits and forcing 12 batters into ground ball outs in a 2-0 game-two victory.
With two outs and Leonhart on second in the bottom of the first, Lutgen came up big again as she singled through the left side to score Leonhart and give the Lions a 1-0 lead after one. Four innings later in the same scenario with Caldarella on second through a double, Elizabeth Windsor ripped one toward right field to score Caldarella and push Southern to a 2-0 win to conclude the day.
