Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Home runs hurt Griffon Softball in two losses during the second and last day at the 8-State Classic. The Griffons surrendered two homers in a 7-5 loss to Minnesota Duluth and gave up three round trippers in a 10-1 loss to Southern Arkansas. The losses dropped the team to 5-4 on the year.
 
Game 1: University of Minnesota-Duluth 7, MWSU 5
Janie Smith allowed two runs in the first but the Griffons were able to answer one of those runs in the bottom of the first. UMD added two more in the second on a two-run home run to fall behind 4-1.
 
Morgan Rathmann singled in the third for the Griffons and scored three batters later when Paige Shifflett grounded out. MWSU got another in the third on an RBI single by Kaiely Green that drove Tiffany Gillaspy in. Rathmann scored her third run of the game in the fourth on Tiffany Gillaspy's two-run home run that tied the game at five. The Bulldogs tacked on two more in the sixth on Becky Smith's second home run of the game. It was enough for UMD as the Griffons were retired in order in the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings.
 
Game 2: MWSU 1, Southern Arkansas 10 (5 innings)
Southern Arkansas homered three times in a 10-1 win to end the 8-State Classic for the Griffons. The Muleriders got the scoring in the first with a pair of two-run home runs to stake a 4-0 lead. They added two more in the second on a two RBI single to jump ahead 6-0.
 
Missouri Western scored their lone run in the third when Gillaspy drove in Shelbie Atwell on a fielder's choice. Southern Arkansas added two more in the fourth on another two RBI single and finished the game off with their third two-run home run of the game in the fifth.
 
Shyanne Saladino picked up her first loss of the season, going two innings and allowing the first six runs of the game on six hits. Taylor Schaben pitched two innings in relief, allowing the final four runs on four hits. Rebekah Mueller was the only Griffon with two hits, finishing 2-2. Rathmann and Atwell had the team's only other hits in the game.
 
Missouri Western was set to play two more on Sunday in the 8-State Classic but all Sunday games were canceled due to weather concerns. The Griffons take their 5-4 record on the road for another tournament next weekend. MWSU will play five games between Feb. 19 and 21 in the Kelly Laas Memorial Invite in St. Cloud, Minnesota.