WESTFIELD, Ind. – Playing its first games in nearly a month the Missouri S&T Lady Miner softball nine dropped both ends of its Great Lakes Valley Conference opening doubleheader against Saint Joseph's 7-3 and 6-4 on Saturday afternoon at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind. Andi Davis (Blue Springs, Mo./Archbishop O'Hara ) paced the offense with four hits and a pair of runs scored.

S&T (1-6, 0-2 GLVC) jumped on the board first in the opener with a pair of runs in the first inning. Davis led off with a triple down the left field line and scored when Shelby Michaelis (Bettendorf, Iowa/Bettendorf) hit a grounder to short. Michaelis reached on the play on a throwing error and moved to second as Kyra Slemp (Roeland Park, Kan./Shawnee Mission East) was hit by a pitch. Michaelis stole third and scored on Cailey Baker (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield)'s sacrifice fly to right.

The Pumas (9-7, 2-0 GLVC) took advantage of wildness by Lady Miner starter Kati Viets (Sweet Springs, Mo./Sweet Springs) as she walked four hitters in the bottom half of the frame. With one out, Tiffany Gibson singled to center field to tie the game, but Michaelis kept the game tied as she threw out Melanie Smith at the plate for the second out. Viets got out of the getting Stephanie Winter to fly out to Michaelis.

The game stayed tied until the home half of the third. With one out Kalene Davis doubled down the left field line, went to third on a ground out and scored on Emma Littrell's two out single to left. Saint Joseph's extended its lead to 5-2 with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings.

The Lady Miners rallied in the sixth. With one out, Baker and Monica Weiss (St. Louis, Mo./Marquette ) reached on back-to-back infield singles. Victoria Culbertson (Nevada, Mo./Nevada) made it 5-3 on a double to right scoring Baker. S&T had a golden opportunity to tie the game with the tying run in scoring position but couldn't get the key hit as Ashley Rausch (Washington, Iowa/Washington) grounded out to third and Lori Badalamenti (Wentzville, Mo./Timberland ) struck out swinging.

The Pumas tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the home half of the sixth to make it 7-3. The Lady Miners threatened again in the seventh. Olivia Culbertson (Nevada, Mo./Nevada) led off with a double and Davis singled to put runners on the corner with no out. Michaelis lined into a double play to third as Culbertson was caught off the bag. After a single by Slemp, Baker grounded out to end the game.

S&T had nine hits in the opener led by Davis with three while O. Culbertson had two. Viets took the loss allowing seven runs on nine hits and had eight walks to fall to 1-3 on the season.

In the back end of the doubleheader the Lady Miners again jumped on top in the first inning. Davis led off with a single, went to second on a sacrifice by Michaelis and scored on Baker's single through the left side with two outs.

Saint Joseph's answered in the home half of the inning scoring four times on five hits and took advantage of an S&T error. The Lady Miners tied the game in the third scoring three times. Michaelis and Slemp led off the inning with back-to-back singles. With one out Weiss tripled to right making it a one run game. She came into to score the tying run on Rausch's two out single back up the middle.

The game stayed tied until the bottom of the fourth. Briana Wagner led off the inning with a single and then stole second with two outs. She came around to score on Ashley Whittaker's single through the right side of the infield.

S&T had an opportunity to tie the game in the top of the sixth. Rausch led off the inning with a double but was left off stranded as the Lady Miners couldn't come up with the clutch hit.

The Pumas added an insurance run in the home half of the sixth to extend their lead to 6-4.

S&T was retired in order in the seventh to end the game.

The Lady Miners were outhit by Saint Joseph's 10-8 in the nightcap. Rausch led S&T with two hits while six others had one hit each. Becca Strope (Glen Carbon, Ill./Edwardsville) suffered the loss in relief allowing two runs on four hits with a strikeout and two walks.

The Lady Miners return to action on Sunday when they take on the Indianapolis Greyhounds in a GLVC doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. (CDT).