ROLLA, Mo. –The Missouri S&T softball team split a home non-conference doubleheader with Rogers State this Tuesday (April 10) as the Lady Miners won the opener in dramatic fashion with a 3-2 triumph in nine innings before coming up short in a 6-2 loss to the Hillcats in the nightcap at the S&T Softball Field.
 
In game one, junior first baseman Gretchen Egly singled in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth to give the Lady Miners a thrilling victory.  A two-RBI double by sophomore designated Olivia Young in the sixth pulled S&T into a 2-2 tie which would eventually lead to Egly's notable hit.
 
Rogers State hoped to avenge its disappointing game one loss and successfully did so as the Hillcats scored at least a run in four of the second game's initial five innings and prevented S&T from ever threatening.
 
S&T presently has registered a 20-18 overall record this spring while Rogers State is at 28-15 overall as the second-game win snapped the Hillcats' five-game losing skid. 
       
Game 1 – Missouri S&T 3, Rogers State 2 (Nine Innings)
 
The final three innings kept the fans in attendance on their seats as the contest went into extra frames before a Gretchen Egly (Joliet, Ill./Plainfield Central) single in the bottom of the ninth brought home junior outfielder Courtney Jackson with the game-winning run.
 
Jackson, who was placed on second to start the inning due to the international tiebreaker rule, advanced to third base on a sacrifice from sophomore shortstop Abby Klein (Kansas City, MO/Staley) and would score on Egly's single to left field.
 
Rogers State went up 1-0 in the top of the second on a RBI bunt single and picked up another run in the top of the fourth inning on a solo homer from Sierra Skaggs, her third of this season.
 
The Hillcats maintained their two-run advantage until the bottom of the sixth when a double to left field from Oliva Young scored two S&T runners to tie the contest all up at two apiece.  Senior third baseman Monica Weiss lead off with a bunt single and two batters later, Abby Klein (Kansas City, MO/Staley) smacked a single thru the left side of the HSU infield and eventually both would score on Young's two-base hit.
 
Sophomore pitcher Avery English (Carterville, Ill./Carterville) (14-9) garnered the win for S&T by tossing a complete-game and had three strikeouts while scattering nine Hillcats' base hits.  Alex Brake (10-5) took the hard-luck loss as she threw 8.1 innings and racked up eight strikeouts.
 
Monica Weiss (St. Louis, Mo./Marquette) and Abby Klein (Kansas City, MO/Staley) spearheaded the Lady Miners' hitting efforts with two apiece.  Oliva Young, who totaled two RBIs, also had a base hit as did Courtney Jackson (Parkville, Mo./Park Hill South) and Gretchen Egly (Joliet, Ill./Plainfield Central).
 
Rogers State had several scoring opportunities throughout the opener as the Hillcats left 12 runners on base and S&T stranded five.     
           
Game 2 – Rogers State 6, Missouri S&T 2
 
The Hillcats pounced on S&T in the nightcap from the get go, scoring twice in the first inning on a RBI double by Allie McFetridge off S&T senior pitcher Kati Viets (Sweet Springs, Mo./Sweet Springs) and a two-out run-scoring from Sierra Skaggs.  The Lady Miners got one back in the bottom half of the frame when Gretchen Egly (Joliet, Ill./Plainfield Central) belted an offering from HSU starting pitcher Andre Morales down the right field line to score Monica Weiss (St. Louis, Mo./Marquette), who reached first base on a single and then stole second to get into scoring position.
 
Rogers State bumped its lead to 4-1 going into the last half of the fourth inning with a run apiece in the third and fourth frames.  A Merissa Smith third-inning leadoff home run gave the visitors a 3-1 lead and in the fourth a bases-loaded walk netted the Hillcats' their fourth run of the game.
 
A two-run fifth-inning by RSU increased its margin to 6-1 as Andre Morales helped her own cause with a two-run double. S&T produced its second and last run of the game in the fifth inning as Abby Klein (Kansas City, MO/Staley) delivered a RBI single which scored sophomore pinch-runner Hannah Smith (Oconomowoc, Wis./Catholic Memorial).  
 
Abby Klein (Kansas City, MO/Staley) paced S&T with a three-for-three hitting performance as the Lady Miners accumulated five hits in the contest to HSU's nine total. Gretchen Egly (Joliet, Ill./Plainfield Central) and junior catcher Lauren King (O'Fallon, Mo./Fort Zumwalt North) picked up the other two base hits for S&T, who left five runners on base for the game.
 
In the pitching circle, Kati Viets (Sweet Springs, Mo./Sweet Springs) (6-8) went the first five innings en route to taking the loss and yielded eight hits and six runs to go with three strikeouts and walks apiece.  Courtney Jackson (Parkville, Mo./Park Hill South) came in relief of Viets and threw the final two innings giving up just one HSU base hit.  Andre Morales (9-6) tossed a five hitter in going the distance as she fanned two and walked one.          
 
Up Next
Missouri S&T returns to Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) competition this Saturday (April 14) visiting the Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) Tritons at the UMSL Softball Field in St. Louis, Mo.  The league twin bill gets underway at 12 p.m. CT with the first of the two contests.