JOPLIN, Mo.— The Missouri Southern softball team swept the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats by limiting them to two runs towards a pair of victories in game one (9-1) and game two (5-1) inside the Pat Lipira Softball Complex Saturday morning.
Game One
The Lions (19-20, 10-12 MIAA) came out of the gate on fire from the plate as they scored seven runs on two singles, a double, and a triple in the bottom of the first. The Bearcats (9-22, 4-14 MIAA) got on the board in the top of the second on a sacrifice fly, but Southern answered with a run in the fourth and fifth to close out game one in five innings by a score of 9-1.
Junior outfielder Elizabeth Windsor led the squad with three hits on four opportunities with a run scored and batted in. Lexi Ferrari, Emily Harris, and Tori Frazier added two hits each while combining for six of the team’s nine RBIs.
Senior pitcher Taurean Guzman (10-8) threw five innings, allowing one run on three hits.
Game Two
MSSU continued its early scoring with back-to-back doubles by Makaila Leonhart and Josie Tofpi before Ferrari capped it off with an RBI-single to put the Lions in front 3-0 to conclude the first inning.
NWSU responded with one run in the second, but Southern answered again in the bottom of the second to go up 5-1 after two innings and hold on to complete the sweep.
Ferrari recorded a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate in game two for two RBIs while Windsor went 2-for-4 and scored two runs in the process. Tofpi knocked in two and scored one in the win as well.
Sophomore pitcher Abby Atkin entered the third inning in relief, holding the Bearcats to one hit in five innings and striking out three.
On Deck
Softball will have all week to prepare for its final non-conference matchup of the season that takes place on Wednesday, April 23 at 2:00 pm against Rogers State in Joplin.
