OWENSBORO, Ky. – Missouri S&T's softball team suffered its first sweep of a two-game day on Sunday, as the Miners dropped contests to Wheeling and Davis & Elkins at the Blue Bridge Invitational. S&T fell to 6-4 on the year, as it struggled to generate offense in game one and was victimized by five errors in the loss in an extra inning loss in the second game.
Game 1: Wheeling 3, Miners 1
The Miners were shut down offensively in their first game of the day against Wheeling, as they were held to four hits by a pair of Cardinal hurlers.
After Wheeling scored in the first, the Miners tied the contest in the second when
Baylee Jobson (Marceline, Mo./Marceline RV) drew a one-out walk, moved to second on a hit by
Chloe Saltijeral (North Aurora, Ill./Rosary) and later scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of
Taylor Caton (Ballwin, Mo./Parkway West).
The Cardinals took the lead back on a two-run double with two outs in the third off the bat of Cassie Feyh. S&T had runners on base in each of the final four innings, but couldn't get any additional runs across the plate.
S&T was outhit 7-4 in the game, with
Charlye Rowland (Pearcy, Ark./Lake Hamilton) taking the loss in the circle.
Game 2: Davis & Elkins 14, Miners 8
S&T allowed a run in the top of the first, but tallied three in the bottom half on an RBI single by
Ashley Davis (Erie, Ill./Erie) and a two-run triple off the bat of
Bryn Wooldridge (Salisbury, Mo./Salisbury).
Hannah Antzoulatos (Plainfield, Ill./Joliet Catholic Academy) added to the Miner lead with an RBI single in the second that scored
Ciarrah Bell (Marceline, Mo./Marceline), but the Senators scored four times in the third and three more times in the fourth to take an 8-4 lead.
The Miners rallied back and tied the contest with a four-run outburst in the fifth, which started when Wooldridge drew a leadoff walk. With one out, Saltijeral and
Taylor Caton (Ballwin, Mo./Parkway West) singled to load the bases and Bell followed with a two-run single to cut the lead in half.
A hit by
Elizabeth Viox (Glen Carbon, Ill./Edwardsville) loaded the bases up again, then back-to-back singles by Antzoulatos and
Shannon Flowers (Katy, Texas/Katy) brought home runs to tie up the contest.
The Miners, however, were unable to get the go-ahead run across and went down in order in the sixth and seventh innings before the Senators – with the runner placed on second to start the inning – exploded for six in the top of the eighth. The big blows were a triple by Honesty Holt to lead off the inning and a three-run double by Trinity Cossette that broke the game open.
S&T again went down in order as its final 11 hitters were retired in succession after it had drawn even in the fifth.
Davis & Elkins outhit the Miners 16-13; Antzoulatos had three of S&T's hits while Viox, Flowers and Bell all had two apiece. Bell also drove in two runs as did Antzoulatos and Wooldridge.
Mayce Barber (Excelsior Springs, Mo./Excelsior Springs) was charged with the loss.
Missouri S&T returns to action Saturday when it faces Washburn in a doubleheader in Topeka, Kan. Saturday's twinbill will get underway at 11 a.m.
