WARRENSBURG, Mo. — Sunday featured anouther doubleheader case of déjà vu for Griffon Softball, as Missouri Western made quick work of the Jennies with a pair of dominating wins at Jennies Field, ending the 2022 regular season on an eight-game winning streak.
GAME 1
MWSU 11, UCM 2
Home runs were a hot commodity in game one, with the Griffons mashing three in their 11-2 thumping of the Jennies.
Chloe Armstrong and
Bubba Hoelscher combined for back-to-back blasts to center field give Missouri Western a 3-0 lead early in the first. Nearly identical to how MWSU (27-20, 17-9 MIAA) started its scoring ways on Sunday, catcher
Emma Hoffart capped the contest with a three-run hammer shot to center — her team-leading ninth home run of the season.
Pitcher
Sydney Rader (17-7) recorded her 15th complete game of the season with a seven-strikeout shutdown of the Jennies' (17-37, 8-18 MIAA) offense. The Griffons bounced pitcher Gentry Wishard (5-7) from the game after just 1.1 innings with three hits and five earned runs.
GAME 1 NOTABLES
- Sydi Hawkins: 2-for-4, 1 BB, 1 RBI, 1 R
- Rachel Stewart: 2-for-4, 1 BB, 2 RBI, 2 R
- Emma Hoffart: 1-for-5, 1 HR (9), 3 RBI, 1 R
- Chloe Armstrong: 2-for-3, 1 HR (6) 2 RBI, 1 R
- Bubba Hoelscher: 1-for-4, 1 HR (1), 1 BB, 1 RBI, 1 R
- Liz Vaupel: 3-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 R
- Sydney Rader: 7 IP, 7 SO, 5 H, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 2 ER
GAME 2
MWSU 9, UCM 1 - F/5
Similar to Saturday at Lincoln, Missouri Western and
Natalie Kissinger cut game two short with a 9-1 run-rule victory over UCM. Armstrong picked up where she left off in game one with a sacrifice fly RBI to left field, allowing
Sydni Hawkins to score.
Natalee Weber blasted her own solo shot in the second to put her Griffs up, 3-0.
The real damage began in the fifth with MWSU entering the inning on top, 4-1. The Griffons rattled off four runs highlighted by RBI singles by Stewart and
Si Culver. Culver scored Vaupel with a base knock to the left while Stewart slashed in two RBI with a single also through the left side.
Pitcher
Natalie Kissinger (10-11) outlasted Kyleigh Lay (8-13) with another efficient performance. The sophomore pitcher went all five innings, giving up five hits and one earned run.
GAME 2 NOTABLES
Sydni Hawkins: 2-for-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 R
Rachel Stewart: 1-for-2, 1 BB, 1 2 RBI, 2 R
Chloe Armstrong: 0-for-2, 1 SF, 2 RBI
Natalee Weber: 1-for-1, 1 HR (3), 1 BB, 1 RBI, 2 R
Natalie Kissinger: 5 IP, 0 SO, 0 BB, 0 ER
NEXT UP
The Griffons finish the 2022 regular season on an eight-game winning streak and with sole possession of fourth place in the conference thanks to their 17-9 MIAA record. Missouri Western's likely MIAA Championship Tournament is against Northeastern State (28-23, 16-10 MIAA). The RiverHawks split with the Griffons on April 10 back in St. Joseph.
Tickets for the MIAA Championship Tournament can be found by visiting
www.TheMIAA.com. Use the passcode "Griffon2022Softball" to purchase your tickets. Stay tuned to GoGriffons.com for the official MIAA Championship bracket.
