LEBANON, Ill. – Missouri S&T got a much-needed victory in Great Lakes Valley Conference play as it won game two of its doubleheader Saturday at McKendree, getting a two-hitter from
Charlye Rowland (Pearcy, Ark./Lake Hamilton) and one big blow – a two-run homer from
Hannah Antzoulatos (Plainfield, Ill./Joliet Catholic Academy) – to get a split of the doubleheader.
The Miners won the second game 2-1 to snap a five-game losing streak after dropping game one by a count of 6-1.
Game 1 – McKendree 6, Miners 1
The Bearcats (24-12, 11-7 GLVC) got on the board in the opening inning, taking advantage of an S&T error to begin the frame and scoring the run on Olivia Stansbury's sacrifice fly that scored Heaven Lawrence. McKendree then added to its lead in the third on a two-run double by Lauren Harris to go up 3-0…
S&T (17-23, 9-9 GLVC) got a runner to second in the third inning when
Chloe Saltijeral (North Aurora, Ill./Rosary) singled with two out and stole second before she was stranded. After McKendree scored its two runs in the third, the Miners answered back in the fourth on three straight hits off the bats of
Bryn Wooldridge (Salisbury, Mo./Salisbury),
Hannah Antzoulatos (Plainfield, Ill./Joliet Catholic Academy) and
Madison Passolano (Mokena, Ill./Lockport Township), the last of the three scoring Wooldridge to get S&T on the scoreboard.
However, Harris belted a two-run homer to center in the bottom of the fifth to extend the Bearcat lead to 5-1 and McKendree added another run in the sixth as well.
Passolano had two of the Miners' five hits as S&T was outhit 7-5 in the opener. McKendree starter Ellie Quaethem, the GLVC's strikeout leader, fanned six of the first seven hitters she faced and ended up with 12 in the contest.
Game 2 – Miners 2, McKendree 1
The Bearcats jumped on top in the opening inning of game two as well, as Lawrence led off with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Harris. S&T then threatened in the second when
Shannon Flowers (Katy, Texas/Katy) and
Madi O'Farrell (Olathe, Kan./Olathe Northwest) had one-out hits, but the Miners were unable to push any runs across in that frame.
But in the third, the Miners got a leadoff single from Rowland and then with one out, Antzoulatos blasted a two-run homer over the fence in center to put S&T into the lead.
From there, Rowland took care of matters as she allowed only two baserunners – a walk in the fourth and a leadoff single in the fifth – as she retired 15 of the final 17 hitters she faced to pick up her fifth win in the circle this season. Rowland struck out five in her complete game outing.
S&T outhit the Bearcats 8-2 in the nightcap as Antzoulatos and
Elizabeth Viox (Glen Carbon, Ill./Edwardsville) had two hits apiece.
Missouri S&T will play its final road games in GLVC play Sunday when it takes on Maryville in a noon doubleheader in St. Louis.
