Rolla, Mo. – Missouri S&T's softball squad opened a six-game homestand sweeping Southwest Baptist 3-1 and 8-4 on Wednesday afternoon in Rolla.
Savannah Fedorchak (Oakville, Mo./Oakville) and
Cailey Baker (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield) combined for eight hits in the doubleheader as the Lady Miners finished the day with 20 hits.
Game 1 – Lady Miners 3 Southwest Baptist 1The Bearcats (13-19) struck first in the opener scoring three batters into the contest. Catlin Evans led off with a bunt single, went to second on a sacrifice and scored on Dana Graves single up the middle.
Kati Viets (Sweet Springs, Mo./Sweet Springs) avoided further damage getting a strikeout and a groundout to end the frame. S&T (6-15) answered in the home half of the first.
Monica Weiss (St. Louis, Mo./Marquette ) led off with an infield single, went to second on a groundout and scored on Fedorchak's single up the middle.
The Lady Miners took the lead in the home half of the third as Weiss and
Andi Davis (Blue Springs, Mo./Archbishop O'Hara ) led off the inning with back-to-back singles. With one out Fedorchak dropped a single into left center scoring Weiss from second. S&T had a chance for more but Davis was thrown out at third trying to advance on a ball in the dirt and Baker flew out down the left field line.
The Lady Miners tacked on an insurance run in the fourth as
Morgan Imhoff (Jamestown, Mo./Jamestown) led off with a single, went to second on a passed ball and scored on Viets's single down the right field line.
That would be all the run support Viets needed holding SBU to one run on five hits for the complete game victory. She struck out five and didn't walk a batter in the contest. Weiss had three hits in the contest while Fedorchak added two.
Game 2 – Lady Miners 8 Southwest Baptist 4The Bearcats struck first again in the nightcap as Kaley Hansen led off the second inning with a single, stole second and scored on Lyndie Routh's double down the left field line. S&T answered in the home half of the second with a pair of runs. Fedorchak led off the inning with a single, went to second on a passed ball and advanced to third on Baker's single up the middle. Fedorchak scored on a wild pitch to tie the game. Back-to-back walks to
Kelly Heckemeyer (St. Elizabeth, Mo./St. Elizabeth) and
Lori Badalamenti (Wentzville, Mo./Timberland ) loaded the bases for
Carley Hamann (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln Way North). Hamann grounded a pitch back to the circle and the pitcher threw to the plate but the catcher dropped the throw and everyone was safe. The Lady Miners missed an opportunity for a bigger inning though leaving the bases loaded.
S&T extended its lead with three runs in the third.
Kyra Slemp (Roeland Park, Kan./Shawnee Mission East) and Fedorchak led off the inning with back-to-back singles.
Cailey Baker (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield) then lined a double to left center scoring Slemp to make it 3-1. After a walk to Imhoff, Heckemeyer followed with an RBI single to left center scoring Fedorchak and Hamann drove home Baker with a sacrifice fly to center to make it 5-1.
The Lady Miners added three more in the fourth. Davis led off with a single and with one out Fedorchak walked. Baker then followed with her second straight double scoring Davis and
Victoria Culbertson (Nevada, Mo./Nevada) – running for Fedorchak – Culbertson was ruled safe on the play at the plate due to obstruction by the catcher. Imhoff followed with an RBI single to right scoring Baker with the eighth run.
SBU added single tallies in the fifth and sixth to cut the lead to 8-3 heading into the seventh. In the seventh
Courtney Jackson (Parkville, Mo./Park Hill South) came on in relief of
Ashley Hill (Centralia, Mo./Centralia) and struck out two of the first three hitters she faced, but an error and three straight walks brought the tying run to the plate. Jackson settled down and struck out Stef Lischke on three pitches to end the game.
S&T banged out 11 hits in the nightcap led by Baker's 4-for-4 performance. Fedorchak and Davis had two hits each. Hill picked up her second win of the season allowing three runs on hits with two strikeouts and a walk in six innings pitched. Jackson got the final three outs allowing an unearned run with three Ks and three walks.
The Lady Miners continue their homestand on Saturday when they welcome the University of Indianapolis for a 12 p.m. start at the S&T Softball Field.
