By: Luke Rinne, Assistant Sports Information Director
Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
(Bentonville, Ark.) – The Missouri S&T Lady Miners hit two home runs but unfortunately gave up six as it dropped a pair of games to open its 2011 season on Friday at the Quad-States Classic in Bentonville, Ark. S&T fell to Lincoln 6-3 in its opener then dropped a 9-2 decision to Missouri Western.
In the opener the Lady Miners (0-2) wasted little time getting on the board as Kassi Deibert (Highland, Ill./Highland) lined the first pitch she saw over the right field fence giving S&T a 2-0 advantage in the top of the first. The lead wouldn't last as the Blue Tigers (1-0) answered with two of their own in the bottom half to knot it up.
Lincoln took the lead for good in the bottom of the third on a three-run homer by Raschel Hoeflicker then added to its lead in the fifth on Hoeflicker's second round tripper of the game this time a solo blast to make it 6-2.
The Lady Miners threatened to tie the game in the top of the seventh loading the bases with no one out but got just one run on Maggie Schroeder (Bonner Springs, Kan./Basehor-Linwood)'s sacrifice fly to center.
Five different players had a hit for S&T while Deibert drove in two of the three runs. Amber Duncan (Centralia, Mo./Centralia), who made her Lady Miner debut, gave up five runs, all earned on six hits in four innings of work to take the loss. She struck out three but walked four.
Hoeflicker finished the contest going 3-for-4 with four RBIs to lead the Blue Tigers.
In the second game S&T again jumped out to an early lead this time on a Kristen Drage (Morganfield, Ky./Union County ) two-run homer in the first inning. However, just like in the previous game the lead wouldn't hold up as the Griffons (6-2) tied it in the bottom of the first.
Missouri Western took the lead in the home half of the third on a solo blast by Toni Dance. The Griffs added another in the fifth then blew it open in the sixth scoring five runs. Keri Lorbert hit a three-run blast and Ashley Hudson followed two batters later with a two-run shot.
Drage and Schroeder combined for four of the Lady Miner's six hits in game two. Taylor Keal (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs South) suffered the loss allowing all nine runs, seven earned, on seven hits. She also struck out three batters but yielded four free passes.
Hudson had two of Missouri Western's seven hits.
S&T concludes play in the Quad-State Classic on Saturday afternoon taking on Oklahoma Panhandle State at 12:30 p.m. followed by Southwest Baptist at 3 p.m.
