ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Griffon softball dropped its final three games of the Kelly Laas Invite on Friday.
 
Missouri Western surrendered leads late in two of the losses. Big innings were the story of the day with St. Cloud State using a five-run seventh, Augustana a five-run second and Sioux Falls a three-run sixth to drop the Griffons to 3-12 on the season.
 
GAME 1: St. Cloud State 6, MWSU 5
St. Cloud State (7-1) scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh in a game dominated by the Griffons through six innings. Kenzie Hilzer pitched four innings of one-hit softball before giving way to Kaili Hinds in the fifth. Hilzer re-entered with no outs in the seventh after Hinds put the first five St. Cloud State batters on in the inning. Hilzer walked the first batter she faced in the seventh to load the bases before retiring the next two batters without a runner advancing. Alexis Jacobs delivered for the Huskies with a two-out ground rule double to center that scored two.
 
Hilzer pitched 4 2/3, giving up two hits while walking one and striking out one. Hinds (1-5) took the loss, giving up six hits and six earned runs through two-plus innings of work. Shelbie Atwell went 2-for-4 with two RBIs in the game. Rebekah Mueller was 2-for-3 at the plate and drove in one.
 
GAME 2: Augustana 9, MWSU 0 (5 Innings)
Missouri Western was held without a hit in a run-rule loss to Augustana. The two teams were scoreless after one inning, but a five-run second by the Vikings blew the game wide open.
 
The Griffons drew three walks, but never got a runner past second base. All three walks ended with those runners put out at second on fielder's choice plays. Gabi Carter was the only Griff to get to second, advancing on a wild pitch after reaching on a fielder's choice. Hilzer took the loss (2-6) giving up eight of the runs, just four earned, on seven hits through three innings. Hinds pitched the last two innings, allowing one earned run on two hits.
 
GAME 3: Sioux Falls 4, MWSU 2
Sioux Falls scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth, two with two outs to come from behind and spoil Barbara Billingsley's first start of the season.
 
Billingsley held Sioux Falls to one run on one hit through the first four innings before ending the game giving up four runs on six hits. She struck out five and walked five. Missouri Western was limited to six hits in the game and left seven runners on base in the game. Gabi Carter went 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBIs.