Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 (Bentonville, Ark.) – The Missouri S&T Lady Miners dropped a pair of contests on Friday in the Five States Classic in Bentonville, Ark. S&T (0-5) lost to Missouri Southern 9-1 in five innings in its first game then lost to Northwest Missouri State 9-8 in the nightcap.

The Lady Miners jumped on top in the opener against the Lions (2-8) with a run in the top of the first. Jamie Hatlan (Fenton, Mo./Rockwood Summit ) led off and walked and then moved to second on a passed ball. With one out she moved to third on a foul out by Rachel Glenn (Chicago, Ill./Marion Catholic). Kaylea Smith (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs) drove her home with a single back up the middle to make it 1-0.

MSSU answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning thanks in part to two-run homer off the bat of Brooke Hurley which broke a 1-1 tie.

S&T threatened in the second loading the bases with one out but back-to-back pop outs on the infield ended the threat.

The Lions got single tallies in the third and fourth innings before ending the game with a four run fifth.

The Lady Miners had just three hits in the contest, two of which came off the bat of Lindsey DeForest (Fulton, Mo./North Callaway).

Taylor Keal (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs South) took the loss to fall to 0-2 allowing all nine runs, seven earned, on eight hits while walking three and striking out four.

In the second game on Friday, S&T jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first against the Bearcats (2-4). DeForest started things off tripling over the right fielder's head and would score on a passed ball just ahead of the tag.

Jackie Lybarger (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley West) and Becca Strope (Glen Carbon, Ill./Edwardsville) hit back-to-back singles then Schroeder lined a three-run homer over the center fielder's head for the big blow.

Northwest got three of those back in the bottom of the inning on a three-run homer from Kayli Schurman and then tied it in the second on a throwing error by S&T's Shelby Michaelis (Bettendorf, Iowa/Bettendorf).

The Bearcats took a 7-4 lead with three in the fourth.

The Lady Miners got one of those back in the fifth. DeForest led things off with a single. After a pair of flyouts, Schroeder singled putting two on with two out. Smith delivered a single to the right center gap to score DeForest and move Schroeder to third. S&T couldn't do anymore damage though as a groundout to the pitcher ended the inning.

Northwest got two more in the home half of the fifth extending its lead to 9-5.

Erin Premer (McCook, Neb./McCook) made it 9-6 leading off the sixth inning with a solo home run to right. The Lady Miners then got back-to-back hits from Kate Runyan (Crown Point, Ind./Boone Grove) and Hannah Jokisch (De Soto, Kan./De Soto) and walk to DeForest loading the bases with no one out.

The Bearcats made a pitching change bringing Morgan Brunmeier into the contest.

Lybarger was robbed of a hit by the shortstop reaching up and snaring the line drive out of the air for the first out. Strope struck out before Schroeder drove home her fourth and fifth runs of the contest with a single to right center. DeForest moved to third with the tying run and Schroeder advanced to second on the throw back in.

S&T couldn't tie the game though as Smith flied out to deep left to end the threat.

The Lady Miners threatened again in the seventh as Keal reached on an error by the second baseman and then advanced to second on a passed ball. Premer and Runyan grounded out for the first two outs. Elise Kittrell (Boca Raton, Fla./West Boca Raton) came off the bench and reached on an error by the first baseman moving Keal to third with the tying run. DeForest hit a shot back up the middle but Brunmeier snared it and fired it to first for the final out.

S&T outhit NWMSU 13-12 in the contest and was led by Schroder and DeForest combining for five of the hits.

Amber Duncan (Centralia, Mo./Centralia) pitched the first 4.1 innings allowing nine runs, six earned, on 10 hits while walking two.

The Lady Miners will be back in action in Bentonville on Saturday taking on Missouri Western at 10 a.m., and Arkansas-Monticello at 3 p.m.