NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Missouri S&T's softball team completed its opening weekend of play at the Music City Invitational by winning four of six games after splitting two contests for the second day in succession on Sunday. The Miners rallied to knock off Tiffin 5-2 to begin the day before losing 10-2 to Ferris State in their finale at the event. Missouri S&T went 4-2 in its six games of its first weekend of action.
Game 1: Miners 5, Tiffin 2
The Miners used a three-run fifth inning to take the lead for good and used solid relief work from Charyle Rowland in the circle as it won for the fourth time in five games to open the campaign.
S&T jumped on top in the opening inning when
Elizabeth Viox (Glen Carbon, Ill./Edwardsville) led off with an infield single and later scored on a ground out off the bat of
Shannon Flowers (Katy, Texas/Katy), but Tiffin took advantage of some wildness in the second inning from S&T starter
Julia Kanoy (Hamilton, Mo./Penney) as it scored twice without the benefit of a hit to take the lead.
The Dragons benefitted from five walks and a wild pitch to score twice in the second, but Rowland entered the game and after walking in the go-ahead run, got out of the inning with no additional damage and the Miners grabbed the lead back in the fifth.
Madison Passolano (Mokena, Ill./Lockport Township) opened the fifth with a double and moved to third on a hit by
Hannah Antzoulatos (Plainfield, Ill./Joliet Catholic Academy), who proceeded to steal second after a pitching change. Flowers singled up the middle to score the tying run and after a walk to
Bryn Wooldridge (Salisbury, Mo./Salisbury) that loaded the bases,
Baylee Jobson (Marceline, Mo./Marceline RV) drew a one-out walk to force home the go-ahead run. S&T scored again before that inning ended when
Chloe Saltijeral (North Aurora, Ill./Rosary) delivered an RBI single.
The Miners tacked on another run in the sixth when Wooldridge doubled in Antzoulatos.
Rowland got the win in relief, giving up just three hits and striking out five in her 5 1/3 innings of work. Kanoy recorded all five of her outs via strikeouts and did not allow a hit while she was in the circle.
S&T outhit the Dragons 10-3 with Viox and Passolano recording two hits apiece. Antzoulatos scored twice and also had two stolen bases in the contest.
Game 2: Ferris State 10, Miners 2
Missouri S&T answered a first inning run by Ferris State with one of its own, but the Bulldogs scored in each of the next four innings to defeat the Miners in their second game of the day.
The Miners scored in the first when Passolano singled with one out and after Antzoulatos hit into a fielder's choice to force Passolano at second, Flowers laced a double to left that brought Antzoulatos around to score.
Ferris State took the lead back in the second on Dakota Cloutier's one out triple to score the first of two runs in the frame. The Bulldogs would add a run in the third and three in the fourth and fifth innings to break the game open.
The Miners did add an additional run in the fifth when Wooldridge drove in
Madi O'Farrell (Olathe, Kan./Olathe Northwest) with a two-out single in the inning.
S&T had six hits in the game – two apiece by Passolano, Flowers and Wooldridge but was outhit 13-6 in the game. Wooldridge, who started the game in the circle for S&T, was charged with the loss.
The Miners' next action is scheduled for Wednesday when they take on Lincoln in noon doubleheader in Jefferson City, followed by another six-game weekend at the Blue Bridge Battle in Owenboro, Ky., beginning on Friday.
