BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Griffon Softball split a pair of non-conference games to begin the 2020 season at the Alvy Early Memorial Classic.
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Missouri Western got a walk-off single from
Taylor Hoelscher in the first game of the day to cap a rally and defeat Southwest Baptist (0-5). The Griffons rallied again in game two to take a lead over Harding (6-3), but the Bisons had a comeback left in them to give the Griffs a 5-4 loss.
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GAME 1
MWSU 3, Southwest Baptist 2
Hoelscher drove in
Maddie Swanson with one out in the bottom of the seventh on a single to center to give Missouri Western a win in the season opener. With the game tied at two,
Emma Hoffart led off the seventh with a ground out to first.
Kelly Uthe then doubled and
Rachel Stewart put Uthe on third with a single to center before Hoelscher provided the game winner.
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SBU built a 2-0 lead with a run in the first and another in the second.
Lauren Houston tied it in the fifth with a sacrifice fly that drove in Hoelscher and Stewart. Uthe picked up the win in her first game as a Griff, going the distance and striking out six and surrendering one earned run on seven hits. Uthe added a pair of hits at the plate. Hoelscher was 3 for 4 with the game-winning RBI and a double. Stewart had a pair of hits as well.
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GAME 2
Harding 5, MWSU 4
Harding scored two in the top of the sixth to come from behind and take down the Griffons in game two of the day for Missouri Western.
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The Griffons were down 3-1 on a double and a pair of homers after four and a half innings.
Emma Hoffart tied it in the bottom of the fifth with a three-run homer, the first of the season for MWSU. Uthe represented the tying run in the bottom of the sixth after a one-out, pinch-hit walk, but she didn't get didn't leave first and the Griffs were retired on two strikeouts in the inning. In the seventh, Stewart got on with a two-out walk, but Hoelscher couldn't provide the dramatics again, grounding out to end the game.
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UP NEXT
The Griffons play two more in Bentonville on Sunday, taking on Quincy at 2 p.m. and Arkansas-Monticello at 4 p.m.
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