ROLLA, Mo. – Missouri S&T used four multiple-run innings in game one to take the first game of Saturday's Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader with Southwest Baptist, then it was its one big inning that decided the nightcap as S&T completed the sweep over the Bearcats. S&T won the first 10-2 in five innings, then took a 6-5 decision in the second game to improve to 14-10 overall and 4-2 in the GLVC.
Game 1: Miners 10, Southwest Baptist 2
The Miners got out of the gate quickly in game one, getting solo home runs from
Hannah Antzoulatos (Plainfield, Ill./Joliet Catholic Academy) and
Shannon Flowers (Katy, Texas/Katy) in the first inning to take an early 2-0 lead. After the Bearcats (5-14, 0-4 GLVC) tied the score with single runs in the second and third innings, S&T regained the lead by scoring twice without the benefit of a hit in the third.
The frame started with back-to-back walks to
Ashley Davis (Erie, Ill./Erie) and Flowers, then following a sacrifice bunt,
Emma Vaughn (Pevely, Mo./Herculaneum) drew a walk and ball four was also a wild pitch that allowed pinch-runner
Peyton Dillon (Yorkville, Ill./Rosary) to score. Flowers would score later in the inning on another wild pitch to extend the lead to 4-2.
S&T added two more runs in the fourth when
Elizabeth Viox (Glen Carbon, Ill./Edwardsville) doubled with one out and scored on a single by Davis, followed by a sacrifice fly by Flowers that brought home Antzoulatos, who had walked following Viox's double.
The Miners closed out the first game on the mercy rule with four in the fifth. S&T loaded the bases to start the inning on a hit by Vaughn, a walk to
Baylee Jobson (Marceline, Mo./Marceline RV) and after
Chloe Saltijeral (North Aurora, Ill./Rosary) was hit by a pitch. With one out, Viox singled to the opposite field to score the first run, then Antzoulatos followed with a hit up the middle to score two more.
S&T got its fourth run of the inning as the result of an error, as SBU tried to turn an inning-ending double play but threw the ball away to allow Viox to come in to score.
Bryn Wooldridge (Salisbury, Mo./Salisbury) improved her record to 8-3 by allowing just three hits over five innings. S&T outhit the Bearcats 9-3 in the opener, with Viox getting three of the Miner hits.
Game 2: Miners 6, Southwest Baptist 5
The Miners had to come from behind to complete the sweep, with Vaughn's three-run homer being the decisive blow in a five-run fifth inning after S&T trailed 3-1 when the bottom of that inning began.
Madison Coone had homered for the Bearcats in the top of the inning to extend the SBU lead, but starting with a bloop single by
Gretchen Roth (Parkville, Mo./Park Hill South) to start the inning, the Miners put together their go-ahead rally.
Following Roth's hit and a wild pitch, Viox singled down the left field line and a subsequent error allowed Dillon – who was pinch-running for Roth – to score. Viox ended up at second and was still there with two outs when Flowers doubled high off the fence in center to bring in the tying run. Wooldridge then reached on an error to keep the inning alive and Vaughn followed by homering just over the fence in left to put S&T in the lead for the first time in the contest.
Given the three-run lead, S&T starter
Charlye Rowland (Pearcy, Ark./Lake Hamilton) helped herself in the field in the sixth by inducing a line drive double play on a ball hit right at her to end the inning, then had to pitch out of a jam in the seventh to preserve her fifth win of the year.
Coone led off the inning with her second home run, then a one-out double by Katlynn McConville and a run-scoring single by Renae Gillmore cut the lead to 6-5. The Bearcats got the go-ahead run on base after a walk, but Rowland got a fly ball and a ground out to end the game.
The Bearcats took the initial lead by scoring twice in the first, then the Miners got on the scoreboard in the bottom half when Viox led off with an infield single and later scored on a ground out off the bat of Flowers.
Rowland recorded five strikeouts and scattered 10 hits in her complete game outing. SBU outhit the Miners 10-9 in the second game; Viox and Vaughn had two hits apiece for S&T.
Missouri S&T will host Rockhurst in a noon doubleheader on Sunday.
