JOPLIN, MO- The Miners finished their third and final day of the TMZ Tournament against host school Missouri Southern. While S&T's offense caught a spark today, the Lions were too much to handle and they faced 9-1 and 16-8 losses.

GAME ONE: MISSOURI S&T: 1, MISSOURI SOUTHERN: 9
In their opening game of the day, the Miners and Lions held each other scoreless through the first three innings of play.

MSSU struck first in the bottom of the 4^th inning when Leighton Withers hit a sacrifice fly out to left that scored Josie Tofphi and gave them a 1-0 lead.

The Miners got that run back in the top of the 5^th inning. After Bryn Wooldridge (Salisbury, Mo./Salisbury) reached base off a single to left field, Maddy Passolano (Mokena, Ill./Lockport Township) hit a ball into the outfield that brought Wooldridge home and tie the score at 1-1.

Missouri Southern opened it up in the bottom half of the inning with five runs off five hits to push their lead out to 6-1.

S&T tried to add to their score in the top of the 6^th inning. Taylor Caton (Ballwin, Mo/Parkway West) and Bryn Wooldridge (Salisbury, Mo./Salisbury) picked up hits to put them at the corners with one out. But, the Miners were unable to convert and went to into the bottom half of the inning still down by five.

MSSU would get three more runs off three hits in the bottom half of the inning to extend their lead and take the 9-1 win.

The Miners bats picked up today collecting eight hits against the Lions defense. Along with Passolano, Wooldridge, and Caton, Elizabeth Viox (Glen Carbon, Ill./Edwardsville), Keely Morgan (Laguna Hills, CA/Laguna Hills), and Kate Baxter (New Bloomfield, MO/New Bloomfield) all recorded hits.

Kate Baxter (New Bloomfield, MO/New Bloomfield) (0-2) got the start in game one going 5.1 innings and recording two strikeouts.

GAME TWO: MISSOURI S&T: 8, MISSOURI SOUTHERN: 16
The Miners bats found their rhythm in game two of the doubleheader, recording eight runs on nine hits.

S&T struck first in the top of the first when Holli Finnell (Nolensville, TN/Nolensville) doubled down the left field line and brought Maddy Passolano (Mokena, Ill./Lockport Township) around the bases to give the Miners a 1-0 lead.

They would further extend their lead in the top of the 2^nd inning when Elizabeth Viox (Glen Carbon, Ill./Edwardsville) reached on a fielder's choice that scored Bryn Wooldridge (Salisbury, Mo./Salisbury). As Wooldridge crossed home plate, Viox went to continue on to second and forced a throwing error by Southern's catcher and allowed Shannon Flowers (Katy, Texas/Katy) to score and make it a 3-1 game.

The Lions would add one run in the bottom of the 2^nd inning and another four runs in the bottom half of the 3^rd inning to take the 6-3 lead.

S&T came back with a bang in the top of the 4th inning, adding five more runs to their score and taking back their lead.

With runners at first and second, Rachel Smith (Monroe City, Mo./Monroe City R-1) sent a ball through the right side that allowed Charlye Rowland (Pearcy, Ark./Lake Hamilton) to score to cut the Miners deficit to 5-4. After a walk from Elizabeth Viox (Glen Carbon, Ill./Edwardsville), Maddy Passolano (Mokena, Ill./Lockport Township) hit a ball into center field that sent Baylee Jobson (Marceline, Mo./Marceline RV) and Marcy McCalla (Staunton, IL/Staunton) around the bases to take the 6-5 lead. Hannah Antzoulatos (Planfield, Ill./Joliet Catholic Academy) and Taylor Caton (Ballwin, Mo/Parkway West) would pick up RBI hits to help extend S&T's lead out to 8-5.

MSSU's offense took off in the bottom half of the 4^th inning; they regained their lead and scored nine runs to push their lead out to 14-8.

S&T would not be able to convert for another run as they were held to no hits and just one base runner in the final two innings. Missouri Southern would add two more runs in the bottom of the 6^th innings to end the game with the 16-8 final.

Seven different Miners recorded hits in the game with Holli Finnell (Nolensville, TN/Nolensville) and Rachel Smith (Monroe City, Mo./Monroe City R-1) recording multi-hits games.

Bryn Wooldridge (Salisbury, Mo./Salisbury) got the start for game two going 4.0 innings with two strikeouts. Charlye Rowland (Pearcy, Ark./Lake Hamilton) (0-2) came in for the final inning of work holding the Lions to four hits.