Rolla, Mo. – The Missouri S&T Lady Miners used a pair of sixth inning rallies to sweep past Drury 3-1 and 2-1 on Wednesday afternoon at the S&T Softball Field. The Lady Miners (17-22, 9-9 GLVC) broke a 1-1 tie in the opener with a pair of runs in the sixth and then scored the game winner on a sacrifice fly in the sixth in the nightcap.

Game 1 – Lady Miners 3, Drury 1
The Panthers (17-24, 5-13 GLVC) had the game's first scoring chance putting runners at first and second with one out but Avery English (Carterville, Ill./Carterville) got Miki Andrus to line out to her then she fired to second to double off Kelley Conway for the inning ending double play.

S&T struck in the bottom of the second. Savannah Fedorchak (Oakville, Mo./Oakville) led off the inning with a single up the middle and went to third on Carley Hamann (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln Way North)'s double to left. A walk to Kelly Heckemeyer (St. Elizabeth, Mo./St. Elizabeth) loaded the bases for Ashley Rausch (Washington, Iowa/Washington). On the eighth pitch of the at-bat, Rausch singled to left to score Fedorchak but Hamann was cut down at the plate trying to score from second. The Lady Miners left two stranded as a strikeout and a pop out ended the inning.

Neither side threatened again until Drury tied the game in the fifth. Rachel Michaelis singled with one out and scored on Abbey LeJong's two-out double to left center. LeJong would be left stranded though as English got Dominique Salinas to fly out to right to end the inning.

S&T retook the lead in the sixth thanks to a two out rally. Fedorchak started it with a double to right center then Hannah Smith (Oconomowoc, Wis./Catholic Memorial) came into run for her. Hamann fouled off the first two pitches then hit a single back up the middle to score Smith and advanced to second on the throw home. Heckemeyer walked again and Courtney Jackson (Parkville, Mo./Park Hill South) came into run for her. Rausch delivered her second RBI of the game hitting a double to left center scoring Hamann to make it 3-1.

English slammed the door shut in the seventh setting the Panthers down in order to improve to 8-11 on the season. She allowed one run on five hits and finished with four strikeouts in the contest.

Fedorchak, Hamann and Rausch accounted for six of the Lady Miners seven hits in the opener with Rachel Aiardo (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) adding one as well.

Game 2 – Lady Miners 2, Drury 1
In the nightcap, Drury took an early lead with a run in the third inning on an RBI single from Keri Hillenburg with the bases loaded. The Panthers had an opportunity to blow the game open early but left the bases loaded in the second and third innings.

Kati Viets (Sweet Springs, Mo./Sweet Springs) settled down after her early struggles retiring 14 of the final 15 hitters she faced and didn't allow a hit after the third inning keeping her team in the ballgame.

S&T tied the game in the fifth as Heckemeyer led off with a double to right center and was run for by Smith. Hannah Franceschini (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) moved Smith to third with a fly ball to right and then Olivia Young (Milstadt, Ill./Belleville Township) blistered a 3-2 pitch through the legs of Destiny Bolen into center field to score the tying run. Young would be stranded as back-to-back ground outs ended the threat.

The Lady Miners broke the tie in the sixth inning. Monica Weiss (St. Louis, Mo./Marquette ) led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on a bunt single from Hamann. Fedorchak followed with a single to center loading the bases. Rausch followed with a sacrifice fly to right to score Weiss and moved Hamann to third. It was the third RBI of the afternoon for Rausch. S&T couldn't add on as a pop out and a ground out ended the inning.

Viets finished the game off getting three ground ball outs in the seventh to complete the sweep. She allowed the one run on three hits with a pair of strikeouts but issued five walks in the complete game effort.

The Lady Miners outhit Drury 6-3 in the second game with Weiss leading the way with two hits while Hamann, Fedorchak, Rausch and Young had one each.

S&T returns to action on Friday traveling to St. Louis to take on the Missouri-St. Louis Tritons in a GLVC doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.