JOPLIN, Mo. – Griffon Softball split a pair of games on the first day at the Teri-Mathis Zenner Memorial Tournament in Joplin.
 
Game 1: MWSU 8, Drury 0 (5 innings)
Janie Smith did her part and got a big boost from her offense as Missouri Western picked up its first run-rule victory of the 2016 season. Missouri Western scored in each of the first three innings, getting one in the first, four in the second and three in the third.
 
Smith held Drury to just three hits, striking out seven and walking one and moving to 6-2 on the season. Missouri Western added up nine hits in five innings, with seven players getting a hit. Morgan Rathmann went 1-1 officially, but walked twice, drove in two and scored twice. Megan Korgie went 2-2 at the plate with two RBIs and two runs scored. Katie Klosterman also went 2-2 with a pair of runs scored. Taylor Hamilton drove in a run with her one hit on the day. 
 
Game 2: Rockhurst 5, MWSU 2
Missouri Western almost mounted a two-out rally in the seventh, but a pair of errors and some small ball ultimately kept coach Trotter one win short of 500.
 
After the first two batters in the seventh grounded out, Morgan Rathmann became the first of three straight Griffons to reach. Rathmann came home on Paige Shifflett's single that put Shelbie Atwell at second and Taylor Hamilton at the plate. Hamilton lined out to first to end the threat and the game.
 
Rockhurst tied the game at one in the fifth after one error allowed a runner to reach third while she was trying to steal second and another Griffon error allowed her to score and another runner to reach base. In the sixth, Rockhurst chased starter Shyanne Saladino after beginning the inning with back-to-back singles. Janie Smith entered and the first batter she faced reached and drove in a run on a squeeze play. The next batter hit a three-run home run to put Rockhurst up 5-2.
 
Saladino fell to 3-3 on the year, giving up three runs on five hits in five innings. Smith allowed two earned runs on three hits. Saladino did strikeout five batters and Smith three.
 
The loss dropped Missouri Western to 9-5 on the year. Sunday, the team plays two more beginning with Sioux Falls at 10 a.m., followed by McKendree at noon.