Bentonville, Ark. – The Missouri S&T Lady Miners dropped a 15-13 slugfest on Saturday against Northwest Missouri State at the Arkansas-Monticello 8-State Classic at Memorial Park in Bentonville, Ark. The Lady Miners dropped their first game of the day to Missouri Western 9-3 at Memorial Park.

Andi Davis (Blue Springs, Mo./Archbishop O'Hara ) had four hits on the day while Savannah Fedorchak (Oakville, Mo./Oakville) had three and Kelly Heckemeyer (St. Elizabeth, Mo./St. Elizabeth) drove in four runs against Northwest Missouri.

Northwest Missouri 15, Lady Miners 13
S&T (0-4) escaped a first inning jam as the Bearcats (4-0) loaded the bases with no outs to start the game. Courtney Jackson (Parkville, Mo./Park Hill South) got Chantel Adams to line into a double play to Davis and then Jessica Rawie flied out to Monica Weiss (St. Louis, Mo./Marquette ) down the right field line to end the inning. The Lady Miners scored two runs in the bottom of the first. Davis led off with a single and then Hannah Franceschini (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) laid down a bunt and reached first when the pitcher threw the ball into the dirt at first to put runners on the corner. Franceschini then stole second and the ball got through allowing Davis to score and Franceschini to go to third. With one out Fedorchak doubled to left center to drive in Franceschini.

Neither side scored in the second, the only inning when either team didn't score, but scored five runs in the third. Alexis Kelsey hit a three-run homer to left to but the Bearcats in front and two batters later Rawie hit a two-run homer to left.

S&T tied the game in the home half of the third getting a couple of key two out hits. Kyra Slemp (Roeland Park, Kan./Shawnee Mission East) drove in two runs with a single to center to make it 5-4. She then advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on Lori Badalamenti (Wentzville, Mo./Timberland )'s single to center to tie the game.

NWMSU responded with two more in the fourth, but the Lady Miners got one of those back in the bottom of the fourth on a two-out single by Franceschini scoring Victoria Culbertson (Nevada, Mo./Nevada).

S&T held the Bearcats scoreless in the fifth then regained the lead with four runs in the bottom of the inning. Heckemeyer drove in two with a single to right center to make it 8-7. Cailey Baker (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield) scored later in the inning on a throwing error by the first baseman and then Monica Weiss (St. Louis, Mo./Marquette ) came around to score on Victoria Culbertson (Nevada, Mo./Nevada)'s single off the fence in center.

NWMSU tied the game with three in the top of the sixth with Madison Jones driving in two of those runs with a double to right center. The Lady Miners rallied in the home half of the sixth thanks to three straight walks to load the bases. Heckemeyer blasted a double to right center to plate two and then Badalamenti drove in her second run of the game with a single to center.

S&T couldn't hold the lead though as the Bearcats sent 10 batters to the plate in the seventh scoring five runs on five hits and took advantage of four errors to regain the lead. The Lady Miners got a lead-off single in the bottom of the seventh from Franceschini but she was left stranded as two strikeouts and a foulout ended the game.

S&T banged out 15 hits in the contest with Davis, Franceschini, Slemp, Heckemeyer, Badalamenti and Weiss recording two hits each. Slemp, Heckemeyer and Badalamenti drove in eight of the 11 runs. Ashley Hill (Centralia, Mo./Centralia) suffered the loss allowing seven runs on eight hits in 1.1 of work in relief of Jackson. Jackson went the first 4.2 innings allowing seven runs, six earned, on 10 hits. Kati Viets (Sweet Springs, Mo./Sweet Springs) finished the game allowing a run on one hit in one inning pitched.

Missouri Western 9 Lady Miners 3
In the first game of the day the Lady Miners dropped a 9-3 decision against Missouri Western (4-3). The Griffons loaded the bases to start the game and a walk to Taylor Hamilton plated the first run of the contest.

The Griffs added to their lead with six runs in the fourth. With one out Megan Korgie homered to left center to make it 2-0 and then with the bases loaded and two outs an error allowed a run to score. Hamilton then doubled down the right field line to plate two and Sydney Washington followed with a two-run double to left center to make it 7-0.

S&T answered back with three in the home half of the fourth. Olivia Culbertson (Nevada, Mo./Nevada) plated the first run with a single to center to score Weiss and advanced to second on the throw home. Rachel Aiardo (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) came into run for her and advanced to third on Slemp's single back up the middle. Slemp stole second and then Fedorchak drove in both runners with a double to right center.

The Griffons added two more in the fifth but left the bases loaded in the frame.

Davis and Fedorchak combined for four of the six hits in game one. Viets suffered the loss allowing nine runs, four earned, on seven hits with three strikeouts against six walks. Hill pitched the final three innings allowing three hits.

S&T's games scheduled for Sunday in Bentonville have been canceled due to the weather and won't be made up. The Lady Miners are scheduled to return to the diamond on Friday taking on Northeastern Oklahoma State at 12 p.m. in Joplin, Mo.