Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 (Warrensburg, Mo.) – The Missouri S&T Lady Miners scored five runs in the first inning of game one then had to hold on for a 5-4 victory at Central Missouri in the first game on Wednesday afternoon at Jennies Field in Warrensburg, Mo. The Jennies won the second game 5-2 to salvage a split.

S&T (9-16) had its first four runners reach base in the opening frame thanks to three straight hits loading the bases. Kassi Deibert (Highland, Ill./Highland)'s grounder to short plated Emily Tucker (St. Louis, Mo./Cor Jesu Academy) with the first run of the game. After a wild pitch moved all the runners up a base Becky Davis (Blue Springs, Mo./Archbishop O'Hara HS) went shopping in the gap with a two run double to left center. After a pitching change Davis stole third and scored what proved to be the winning run when the throw got away from the third basemen.

UCM (18-8) answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning and almost added a third but a perfect relay throw by Lauren Briggs (LaMonte, Mo./Knob Noster) to Maggie Schroeder (Bonner Springs, Kan./Basehor-Linwood) to Coley Naughton (Alton, Ill./Alton) cut down the runner at the plate to end the inning. The Jennies added two more in the third on a two run triple right off the top of the first base bag from Kelli Kurka.

After the big first inning the Lady Miner bats were silenced by Megan Leonard, who came on in relief with two outs in the first, striking out 12 in the final 6.1 innings and didn't allow a hit. Jen O'Hara though was equally as tough getting the Jennies out in the fourth and fifth then escaped a second and third jam in the sixth getting a strikeout and fly out to left field to end the inning.

After a lead-off walk in the seventh for UCM, O'Hara retired the final three hitters of the game getting a strikeout to seal the win. She picked up the victory by throwing a complete game allowing four runs on 10 hits with nine strikeouts against four walks improving to 5-10 on the year.

In the nightcap the Jennies scored two in the first after two were out to take the early lead. The Lady Miners rallied getting a run in the third on a bases loaded walk with one out. They still had a chance to tie the game and possibly take the lead but were unable to get the big hit.

The Jennies responded with two more in the home half of the third and then got their final run in the fourth. S&T ran into some tough luck offensively the rest of the game continually hitting the ball hard but right at the defense.

The Lady Miners scored their final run in the seventh when Janelle Lewis (Gasport, N.Y./Barker ) singled home Naughton.

Ashley Wallingford (Kahoka, Mo./Clark County ) took the loss in game two allowing five runs on 10 hits in six innings of work. She struck out two and walked two in the contest.

S&T returns to action this weekend heading up to Chicago taking Wisconsin-Parkside on Saturday at Lewis University beginning at 2 p.m. before facing Lewis on Sunday afternoon beginning at 12 noon.