ROLLA, Mo. – Missouri S&T's softball team stepped outside of its Great Lakes Valley Conference Friday afternoon and split a doubleheader with Lincoln at the S&T Softball Field, scoring a run in the bottom of the seventh to win the opener 4-3 before the Blue Tigers scored 13 unanswered runs in game two as they won the nightcap by a 13-7 count.
The Miners (21-25) had fast starts in both games, scoring three runs in the first in game one and five in the opening inning of game two, but were shut down until the seventh inning in both games after the big opening frames. In game two, Lincoln scored runs in each of the last six innings of that contest.
Missouri S&T will return to its GLVC schedule on Sunday when its hosts Maryville in a noon doubleheader.
Game 1: Missouri S&T 4, Lincoln 3
After spotting Lincoln – who will become a member of the GLVC next season -- a run in the top of the first, the Miners answered back after two were retired in the bottom of the inning.
Bryn Wooldridge (Salisbury, Mo./Salisbury) singled with two outs and scored moments later when
Sydney Anderson (Elkhart, IA/North Polk) blasted a two-run homer over the fence in left to put the Miners on top.
S&T added another run before the inning ended, as
Mackenzie Shields (Kansas City, MO/Platte County) reached base on an error, stole second and scored on a hit by
Baylee Jobson (Marceline, Mo./Marceline RV).
Lincoln (13-31) scored in the second and tied the game in the fourth on Abbi Conrad's sacrifice fly and had a threat in the top of the seventh, but Wooldridge retired Taylor Heimbaugh with runners at second and third and two outs to keep the game tied.
The Miners won the game when they came to bat in the bottom of that inning. Following a fielder's choice,
Elizabeth Viox (Glen Carbon, Ill./Edwardsville) dumped a single down the right field line to move pinch-runner
Peyton Dillon (Yorkville, Ill./Rosary) to second, then Wooldridge lifted a fly ball into right center that was dropped by the right fielder, allowing Dillon to come around with the winning run.
Wooldridge, who got the win in the circle, worked around eight hits, five walks and a hit batter to pick up that win. S&T got two hits from Anderson, but was outhit 8-7 in the matchup.
Game 2: Lincoln 13, Miners 7
The Miners got out to a rousing start in the nightcap by putting five runs on the board in the opening inning – only to see Lincoln score in each of the next six innings before S&T plated another run.
S&T's first began with a double down the line by
Ty Neal (Enid, OK/Kremlin-Hilldale), followed by a walk to Viox, a hit by Wooldridge to load the bases and a walk to Anderson to force in the first run. Shields followed with a hit to drive in a run and Dillon was hit by a pitch to force in the third run of the inning and prompt a pitching change by the Blue Tigers.
Following a double play that scored a run,
Lula Sassano (Decatur, IL/St. Teresa) singled past the pitcher to score Shields with the fifth run of the inning.
However, Lincoln got on the scoreboard in the second, then scored multiple in each of the next five innings. After scoring twice in the third, the Blue Tigers scored four times in the fourth to take the lead and moved in front on Kierra O'Rourke's two-run single with two outs.
The Miners got their final two runs in the seventh on a two-run single by
Mayce Barber (Excelsior Springs, Mo./Excelsior Springs).
Lincoln outhit S&T 18-8 in the second game, with Sassano getting two hits for the Miners.
Charlye Rowland (Pearcy, Ark./Lake Hamilton) took the loss in the circle for S&T.
