SMYRNA, Tenn. – Missouri S&T's softball team made two comebacks in its season opener to get a victory Friday afternoon as the Miners scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to down Findlay 7-6, but ended the day with a split of its day at the Music City Invitational as Trevecca Nazarene beat the Miners 9-1 in their second game of the day.
Game 1 – Miners 7, Findlay 6
Trailing 6-5 heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Miners staged a rally and won the game on
Baylee Jobson's (Marceline, Mo./Marceline RV) run-scoring single with two outs that brought home
Rachel Smith (Monroe City, Mo./Monroe City R-1).
Shannon Flowers (Katy, Texas/Katy) drew a leadoff walk to open the bottom of the seventh and pinch-runner
Peyton Dillon (Yorkville, Ill./Rosary) took second on a wild pitch. Still at second with two outs, Smith reached on an infield single and a wild throw on the play allowed Dillon to score the tying run.
Julia Kanoy (Hamilton, Mo./Penney) drew a walk before Jobson drove in the game-winner with a single.
Findlay jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the opening inning, then put two more runs on the board before the Miners got their first run of the afternoon in the bottom of the third. The Oilers scored their first run on a wild pitch and the second on a ground ball that brought home a run, then scored their third inning runs on a fielder's choice and an error.
S&T got on the board in the third when
Elizabeth Viox (Glen Carbon, Ill./Edwardsville) led off the inning with an opposite field double, then moved to third on a ground out by
Madison Passolano (Mokena, Ill./Lockport Township) and scored on another ground ball off the bat of
Hannah Antzoulatos (Plainfield, Ill./Joliet Catholic Academy).
The Miners moved closer in the fifth, as Jobson reached second on an error to begin the inning and moved around to third on an infield hit by Viox. With one out, Antzoulatos grounded out to score Jobson, which was then followed by an RBI single by Flowers that brought in Viox.
The Oilers extended their lead to 5-3 on Makayla Cowan's RBI single in the sixth, but S&T tied things up in the bottom half of the inning.
Chloe Saltijeral (North Aurora, Ill./Rosary) drew a four-pitch walk to open the frame and after advancing to second on a passed ball, reached third when
Rachel Smith (Monroe City, Mo./Monroe City R-1) bunted and the throw to third was late.
Smith stole second with one out before Jobson executed a squeeze bunt to score Saltijeral. Moments later, Viox reached on an error that allowed Smith to score the tying run.
But in the seventh, after the two batters were retired, Alexys Antal drew a walk and came around to score on a double by Olivia Carlton to put the Oilers back into the lead.
Flowers drew a leadoff walk to open the bottom of the inning and pinch-runner
Peyton Dillon (Yorkville, Ill./Rosary) took second on a wild pitch. Still at second with two outs, Smith reached on an infield single and a wild throw allowed Dillon to score the tying run.
Julia Kanoy (Hamilton, Mo./Penney) drew a walk before Jobson drove in the game-winner.
The Miners outhit the Oilers 6-4 in the contest, with Viox getting two of S&T's hits. Kanoy struck out nine in a complete game effort for the Miners in the circle to get the win.
Game 2 – Trevecca Nazarene 9, Miners 1
After a scoreless first inning, Trevecca Nazarene broke loose for eight runs in the second inning and added a single run in the fourth as it went on to win the contest on the run rule in five innings
The Trojans' first seven hitters reached base in the second, with the big blow being a bases-clearing triple by Kendall Andrews that gave Trevecca a 6-0 lead.
S&T avoided the shutout by scoring in the fifth when Jobson led off with a walk and scored on a hit in the gap by Smith.
Trevecca outhit the Miners 7-5 in the contest, with Viox again getting two of S&T's hits. Starting pitcher
Bryn Wooldridge (Salisbury, Mo./Salisbury), one of three pitchers employed by the Miners, took the loss.
Missouri S&T will continue its weekend in Tennessee with contests against Cedarville at 11 a.m. and Tiffin at 1 p.m.
