SOMERS, Wis. – The Missouri S&T Lady Miner softball team closed out its 2015 season on a high note by sweeping Wisconsin-Parkside 6-2 and 10-8 on Monday in Somers, Wis. S&T hit seven homeruns in the doubleheader, four of which came in the second game and was one shy of matching the school record for most home runs in a game. 14 of the Lady Miners 16 runs in the contest were scored via the home run.

S&T (11-28, 8-22 GLVC) fell behind early giving up a run in the first. With one out Paige Harbord walked and came around to score on Courtney Ellingson's double to left center. The Lady Miners came back in the fourth to take the lead on a two-run home run by Olivia Culbertson (Nevada, Mo./Nevada).

The Rangers (7-36, 2-26 GLVC) answered right back in the bottom of the fourth getting a lead-off home run from Madison Manders to tie the game back up.

The game remained tied until the seventh as Shelby Michaelis (Bettendorf, Iowa/Bettendorf) led off the inning with a home run to left field. Two batters later Cailey Baker (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield) added to the lead with another home run to left field putting S&T in front 4-2. After a walk and a single O. Culbertson reached on an error by the second baseman allowing Monica Weiss (St. Louis, Mo./Marquette ) to score and then Lori Badalamenti (Wentzville, Mo./Timberland ) capped the scoring with a double to left field.

Becca Strope (Glen Carbon, Ill./Edwardsville) needed just nine pitches to set Parkside down in order in the home half of the seventh to secure the win. Strope went the distance allowing two runs on five hits with three walks and a strikeout. She got 15 groundball outs in the contest.

The Lady Miners outhit the Rangers 9-5 in the opener led by Baker and Andi Davis (Blue Springs, Mo./Archbishop O'Hara ) with two apiece.
In the second game, S&T took a 2-0 lead two batters into the game as Michaelis hit a two-run blast to left. Parkside got a run back in the second to cut the lead in half, but the Lady Miners responded as Baker hit a grand slam in the third to make it 6-1.

The Rangers began to chip away at the lead scoring two runs in the fourth on a two run single from Jordan Nichols and then took the lead with four runs in the fifth with the last two runs scoring via an error.

Miranda Thompson (Ballwin, Mo./Marquette) started S&T's rally in the sixth with a single and moved to second on a passed ball. Victoria Culbertson (Nevada, Mo./Nevada), hitting for Ashley Rausch (Washington, Iowa/Washington), walked and then both runners moved up on a sacrifice by O. Culbertson. After a pop out, Davis came through hitting a three-run inside the park home run to center field and then Michaelis followed her with a home run to left center making it 10-7.

Parkside got a run back in the bottom of the sixth and had the bases loaded but Strope was able to get out of the inning by getting Morgan Dastych to strike out swinging. Strope then set down the side in order in the seventh to pick up her first save of the season and preserve the win for Bethany
Rader who pitched an inning in relief of Kati Viets (Sweet Springs, Mo./Sweet Springs). Rader allowed two unearned runs on a hit with a walk. Viets went the first four innings allowing six runs, five earned, on 12 hits and four walks.

S&T was outhit in the nightcap 14-8 and was led by Micahelis with three hits.