Claremore, Okla. – The Missouri S&T Lady Miner softball squad was a strike away from winning the opening game of a doubleheader at Rogers State (Okla.) but fell 5-3 in eight innings at the Diamond Sports Complex in Claremore, Okla. on Saturday afternoon. The Lady Miners dropped the second game 4-1 giving up four unearned runs in the second inning.

Game 1 – Rogers State 5 Lady Miners 3 eight innings
The Hillcats (16-3) took the early lead in the opener scoring twice in the  first on a bases loaded double from Arika Araujo with one out. S&T was able to minimize the damage throwing out a runner at third on the play and then Avery English (Carterville, Ill./Carterville) got a groundout to end the inning.

The Lady Miners got a run back in the second putting runners at second and third with one out. Hannah Franceschini (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) drove in Carley Hamann (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln Way North) with a groundout too short to make it 2-1. S&T took the lead with two outs in the the third on a two-run homer to left field off the bat of Kelly Heckemeyer (St. Elizabeth, Mo./St. Elizabeth).

Neither side scored again until there were two outs in the bottom of the seventh. English retired the first two hitters with a strikeout and a groundout but was unable to get the final out as Morgen Blanchard hit a 2-2 pitch over the fence in left center to tie the game.

Each team started with a runner at second in the eighth inning but S&T's threat ended with a double play ball. In the bottom of the eighth Rogers State moved the winning run to third on a sacrifice bunt and then Araujo hit a two-run homer to left to win the game.

The Lady Miners were outhit in the opener 8-5 with Heckemeyer, Hamann, Franceschini, Savannah Fedorchak (Oakville, Mo./Oakville) and Lori Badalamenti (Wentzville, Mo./Timberland ) providing the offense. English suffered the loss allowing five runs, three earned on eight hits with six strikeouts in 7.1 innings pitched.

Game 2 – Rogers State 4 Lady Miners 1
In the backend of the twinbill, Rogers State took advantage of two S&T errors in the second to score all four of its runs. Mikayla Waggnor scored on an error by Franceschini which extended the inning to Blanchard who hit a three-run homer to left field.

The Lady Miner bats were held in check by three Hillcat pitchers until the seventh. With one out, S&T loaded the bases thanks to a pair of walks and a single by Hamann. Franceschini drove in a run with fielder's choice groundout to third for the second out of the inning and then a strikeout ended the threat.

The Lady Miners outhit Rogers State 5-4 in the second game led by Hamann with two. Abby Klein (Kansas City, MO/Staley), Monica Weiss (St. Louis, Mo./Marquette ) and Jacey Allen (Roanoke, Texas/Byron Nelson) had a hit each. Viets fell to 4-4 allowing the four unearned runs on four hits with three strikeouts but she issued five walks.

S&T concludes its 19-game roadtrip on Tuesday when it travels to Bolivar, Mo., to take on the Southwest Baptist Bearcats in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.