JOPLIN, Mo. – The Missouri Western softball team swept Northern State on Saturday at the Teri Mathis-Zenner Memorial Tournament hosted by Missouri Southern.  The Griffons are now 4-0 as they blanked the Wolves in the opener, 8-0, and won game two, 11-3.
 
GAME 1 – Missouri Western 8, Northern State 0
The story of game one was freshman Sydney Rader as she threw a six-inning perfect game in the circle.  She faced the minimum 18 batters, threw only 71 pitches and was able to strike out 10 to improve to 2-0.  It was Rader's first career start as she came on in relief on Friday to earn a win.  It was also the first perfect game thrown by a Griffon pitcher since Jackie Bishop threw a five-inning gem against St. Cloud State on March 21, 2014.
 
Rader didn't need much help, but she got it early as the Griffons scored four runs in the first inning and two more in the second.  Chloe Armstrong stayed hot as she homered, tripled and drove in three runs.  Sydni Hawkins went 3-of-4 with a home run and three runs scored, while Emma Hoffart added two hits, two runs and one RBI.
 
GAME 2 – Missouri Western 11, Northern State 3
Missouri Western fell behind 3-0 to Northern State in the second game as the Wolves scored single runs in each of the first three innings.  The Griffon offense then came alive with three runs in the fourth, three more in the fifth inning and five runs in the seventh.
 
Every starter for MWSU had at least one hit in the game as Armstrong and Taylor Hoelscher led the way with three each.  Both added two runs scored and one RBI.  Brea Blanton homered and drove in two, while Rian Gere, Sierra Culver and Kalyn Damgaard added two RBI each.
 
Kelly Uthe went five innings to earn the win.  She allowed two earned runs and seven hits to improve to 1-0 this season.
 
UP NEXT
Missouri Western is on the road Tuesday as they play a doubleheader at Drury beginning at 2:00 p.m., and then the Griffons play their home opener Sunday, March 7 against Sioux Falls.