SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Missouri S&T's softball team got into the win column for the first time in Great Lakes Valley Conference play Sunday, as it rebounded from a game one loss to beat Illinois Springfield 7-3 in the second game of the doubleheader.
The Prairie Stars (18-12, 2-2 GLVC) beat S&T 6-4 in the opener before the Miners (10-18, 1-3 GLVC) jumped off to a 5-0 lead in the first two innings and held off UIS' rally to secure the victory.
Missouri S&T will play its first home game of the season Friday – after 28 games away from home – as it hosts Southwest Baptist in a GLVC doubleheader beginning at noon at the S&T Softball Field.
Game 1: Illinois Springfield 6, Miners 4
The teams traded single runs in each of the first two innings before the Prairie Stars broke out with a four-run third inning to take the lead for good.
S&T got on the scoreboard in the first when
Trista Grobe (DeSoto, MO/DeSoto) led off with a hit and later scored on
Ty Neal's (Enid, OK/Kremlin-Hilldale) double. After UIS tied the contest in the bottom half of the inning, the Miners regained the lead in the second as
Sydney Anderson (Elkhart, IA/North Polk) walked to start the inning, moved along to third on a ground out and wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Grobe.
UIS knotted the game up again in the bottom of the second, then took the lead an inning later when Taylor Zawacki belted a two-run homer as part of its four-run third.
The Miners cut the lead in half in the sixth, which began with a leadoff double by Anderson. After a passed ball, a walk to
Mackenzie Shields (Kansas City, MO/Platte County) and a ground out to advance Shields to second, Grobe doubled in both runners to trim the margin to 6-4. However, UIS got a double play to get out of the inning and then reliever Addyson McClure retired the Miners in order in the seventh.
UIS outhit S&T 8-7 in the opener; Grobe had two of the Miner hits and drove in three. Neal and Anderson also had two hits in the game, while
Charlye Rowland (Pearcy, Ark./Lake Hamilton) was tagged for the loss in the circle.
Game 2: Miners 7, Illinois Springfield 3
The Miners jumped on the Prairie Stars right out of the gate in game two, scoring twice in the first and three times in the second.
In the opening inning, Grobe led off the game with a hit and
Baylee Jobson (Marceline, Mo./Marceline RV) drew a walk. After failing to get the runners moved ahead due to a fielder's choice, Neal put the Miners on top with a double that brought home Jobson. Neal's hit was followed by a single by Anderson to score Wooldridge with the second run of the frame.
S&T added to its lead in the second, which began with a triple by Kiera Jones; she would score when Grobe reached on an error moments later. Following a walk to Jobson and a pitching change,
Bryn Wooldridge (Salisbury, Mo./Salisbury) singled to the opposite field to score Grobe, then Jobson crossed the plate later in the inning on a wild pitch.
The Prairie Stars scored single runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings against Wooldridge, then had a big threat in the sixth when they loaded the bases with two outs. However, the S&T hurler struck out Avery Hamilton to get out of the jam, then the Miners tacked on two insurance tallies in the seventh.
After Jobson singled to open the inning, she ended up at third following a passed ball and a wild pitch before scoring on an infield single by Anderson. The second run scored on a fielder's choice on a ball hit by Shields that allowed Neal to score.
Wooldridge and Anderson had two hits apiece for S&T as each team finished with 10 hits. Wooldridge fanned 11 in her outing to pick up the win.
