ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Missouri S&T Lady Miner softball squad split a pair of games on Saturday at the Midwest Region Dome Invitational dropping a 7-6 decision to Kentucky Wesleyan and then picking up its first win of the season 6-2 over Findlay in the afternoon.

Kentucky Wesleyan

The Lady Miners (1-3) dug themselves an early hole allowing three unearned in the runs in the first inning against the Panthers (5-4). S&T committed three errors in the frame and allowed three hits. KWC added to its lead in the home half of the second. With one out Amber Pendergraft singled through the left side and scored on Samantha Marksbury's triple to left center. The Lady Miners avoided further damage as Bethany Rader (Memphis, Mo./Scotland County ) got a strike out and a ground out to end the inning.

The Lady Miners got one of those runs back in the third. With two out and a runner on first Michaelis reached on a throwing error by the first baseman and advanced to second while Andi Davis (Blue Springs, Mo./Archbishop O'Hara ) scored all the way from first on the error.

The Panthers pushed their lead to 6-1 with a pair of runs in the fourth. With one out and a runner on first Kaci Ovelgoenner doubled to left to score Marksbury. A ground out moved Ovelgoenner to third and she scored on Ashley Crooke's single to center.

S&T rallied in the fifth tying the game with a five spot. Victoria Culbertson (Nevada, Mo./Nevada) led off the inning with a ground-rule double to right center, went to third on a single by Davis. Michaelis drove both runners in with a three-run homer to left. With one out Savannah Fedorchak (Oakville, Mo./Oakville) singled through the right side and advanced to third on Monica Weiss (St. Louis, Mo./Marquette )'s double down the left field line. After a pitching change, Miranda Thompson (Ballwin, Mo./Marquette) singled to center scoring both runners to tie the game. Thompson would move to second on a sacrifice from Olivia Culbertson (Nevada, Mo./Nevada), but was left stranded as Morgan Imhoff (Jamestown, Mo./Jamestown) struck out to end the inning.

The Lady Miners got the go-ahead in scoring position again in the sixth inning, but couldn't get a two-out hit as Kyra Slemp (Roeland Park, Kan./Shawnee Mission East) popped out to second to end the frame. S&T had another chance to take the lead in the top of the seventh putting two on with two out, but once again couldn't get the two-out hit.

With one out in the bottom of the frame, Courtney Lockwood hit a ground-rule double and Alexis Chapman walked. Jaclyn Parker singled to left center and Lockwood tried to score on the play, but Michaelis threw her out to keep the game tied. The Panthers won the game on the next at-bat as Pendergraft singled up the middle to score Chapman to win the game.

S&T had 12 hits in the contest led by Fedorchak with three while Michaelis, Thompson and V. Culbertson had two hits each. Michaelis and Thompson combined to drive in five of the six runs. Rader got the start allowing six runs, three earned, on eight hits with a pair of strikeouts and a walk. Kati Viets (Sweet Springs, Mo./Sweet Springs) went the final three innings allowing a run on five hits with two strikeouts and a walk to take the loss.

Findlay

The Lady Miners fell behind again in the first inning against the Oilers. Brooke Scherger led off the game with a single to left, stole second, advanced to third on a ground out and scored on a ground out. Findlay had a chance to add to its lead in the top of the second. Kelsey Borders led off the inning with a double to right center and advanced to third on a fly out to right. With two outs, Kari Sparling walked and went to second. Borders tried to score on a wild pitch but was thrown out at the plate by Thompson to Viets to end the inning.

S&T had a chance to tie the game in the third getting back-to-back two out singles but Fedorchak struck out to end the threat. The Lady Miners finally broke through in the fifth. Imhoff, pinch hitting for O. Culbertson, doubled down the right field line. O. Culbertson came back in to run for her and Lori Badalamenti (Wentzville, Mo./Timberland ) pinch hit for V. Culbertson. Badalamenti singled to right and an error on the play allowed her to go to third and O. Culbertson to score to knot the game at 1. With one out, Michaelis brought Badalamenti home with a squeeze play and reached at first. S&T had two one with one out but a strikeout and a ground out ended the inning.

In the top of the sixth, Findlay got a lead-off double from Emily Stewart, was run for by Madison Arnold. Arnold advanced to third on a ground out then tried to score on a wild pitch. She got a bad break and Thompson threw it past Viets, but Slemp was backing the play up and threw Arnold out at the plate.

The Lady Miners added some insurance in the bottom of the inning. With two outs and a runner on first Badalamenti singled to put runners on first and second for Davis. Davis tripled to right center scoring both runners and then she scored on Michaelis's second home run of the day.

The Oilers got a run in the seventh, but it wasn't enough as S&T was able to close it out.

The Lady Miners finished the game with 11 hits and were led by Michaelis with three while Davis, Slemp and Badalamenti had two each. Viets went the distance allowing two runs on eight hits while walking two to earn her first collegiate win.
S&T concludes its competition at the Midwest Region Dome Invitational on Sunday when it takes on 22^nd ranked Winona State at 10:30 a.m.