ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Missouri S&T Lady Miners hung tough against the third ranked Missouri-St. Louis Tritons on Saturday dropping the opener 4-2 and the second game 3-0 on Saturday afternoon. S&T held the top home run hitting team in Division II without a home run while holding them to a total of 10 hits.

The Lady Miners (5-24, 2-18 GLVC) had the game's first scoring chance as Shelby Michaelis (Bettendorf, Iowa/Bettendorf) hit a one out double off the fence in left but was left stranded as back-to-back groundouts ended the inning. The Tritons (33-3, 18-2 GLVC) got on the board in the bottom of the inning as Hannah Wessels led off with a walk. She was still there after back-to-back flyouts, but came around to score on a double to right center off the bat of Brianna Butler. Michaelis tried to run it down at the fence, but it was just out of her reach.

UMSL added to its lead in the home half of the fourth. Jennah Perryman led off the inning with a walk and went all the way to third on a sacrifice bunt by Sara Kern. Jenna Boudreau then singled in front of Lori Badalamenti (Wentzville, Mo./Timberland ) to bring in Perryman to make it 2-0. After another single put runners on first and second, Wessels hit a ball back up the middle and S&T tried to get the out at second, but couldn't make the play to load the bases. A sacrifice fly made it 3-0 and then a wild pitch allowed the fourth run to score.

The Lady Miners cut the lead in half with a pair of runs in the sixth. With runners at second and third with two outs Monica Weiss (St. Louis, Mo./Marquette ) popped a ball over the infield that fell just inside the line scoring Kyra Slemp (Roeland Park, Kan./Shawnee Mission East) and Victoria Culbertson (Nevada, Mo./Nevada). Kelly Heckemeyer (St. Elizabeth, Mo./St. Elizabeth) tried to keep the rally going, but grounded out to third to end the inning.

S&T had seven hits in the opener led by Michaelis with three while Baker, Weiss, Olivia Culbertson (Nevada, Mo./Nevada) and Badalamenti had one apiece. Becca Strope (Glen Carbon, Ill./Edwardsville) took the loss allowing four runs, two earned, on seven hits and four walks.

In the second game the Tritons jumped on the board first with a run in the second. Madison Zbaraschuk led off the inning with a double to left, but Kati Viets (Sweet Springs, Mo./Sweet Springs) got a strikeout and a groundout to keep Zbaraschuk at second. It appeared Viets would get out of the inning with no damage a Boudreau grounded out to second, but catcher's interference was called on Miranda Thompson (Ballwin, Mo./Marquette) giving Boudrea first. UMSL made the Lady Miners pay as Katie Rutledge singled to right field to bring in Zbaraschuk and send the runners to second and third. Viets got out of the inning with no further damage as Wessels lined out to short to end the inning.

The Tritons added two more in the fourth. After retiring the first two hitters Viets hit Boudreau with a pitch and then Rutledge doubled to left center to score Boudreau. Rutledge then advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a throwing error by Thompson to make it 3-0.

Offensively, S&T couldn't get anything going against Hannah Perryman as she struck out 15 hitters in the contest and during one stretch set down 12 straight batters. The Lady Miners didn't get their first hit of the game until a lead-off single by Thompson in the sixth inning.

Viets took the loss in the nightcap allowing just three runs, one earned, on three hits while striking out a career-high seven batters against just one walk.

S&T is back in action on Sunday when it takes on Maryville University beginning at 12 p.m. in St. Louis.