Kissinger 2023
Arianne Boma
Griffon pitcher Natalie Kissinger struck out one batter vs. Concordia-St. Paul.
4
Winner Missouri Western MWSU 1-0
3
Lewis LEWIS 0-1
Winner
Missouri Western MWSU
1-0
4
Final
3
Lewis LEWIS
0-1
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Missouri Western MWSU 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 4 8 1
Lewis LEWIS 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 3 8 1

W: Pruetting, Harley (1-0) L: Serena (0-1)

1
Missouri Western MWSU 1-1
2
Winner Concordia-St. Paul CSP 1-0
Missouri Western MWSU
1-1
1
Final
2
Concordia-St. Paul CSP
1-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Missouri Western MWSU 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 7 0
Concordia-St. Paul CSP 2 0 0 0 0 0 X 2 4 0

W: Olson, Bryanna (1-0) L: Kissinger, Natalie (0-1)

Game Recap: Softball | | Derek Zimmerman-Guyer

Pruetting nearly perfect in opening-day split

MANKATO, Minn. — Between two strong performances within the circle, Griffon Softball found themselves with a doubleheader split on Friday, defeating Lewis and falling to Concordia-St. Paul at the Minnesota State DII Softball Classic inside the Maverick All-Sports Dome.

GAME 1
Missouri Western 4, Lewis 3
Thanks to a dazzling Griffon debut by transfer pitcher Sam Pederson, Missouri Western found itself in the thick of things with Lewis to start off the 2023 season. The Flyers found a 1-0 lead early on in the bottom of the first, but Pederson put the pedal to the metal for next three innings, racking up seven strikeouts on the day. The Griffons' bats awoke in the top of the second when Kalee Higdon hammered a triple to right-center field, scoring both Liz Vaupel and Kylie DeHook. 

Now up with a 2-1 lead, MWSU added one more run in the second thanks to a Rian Gere single through the left side, scoring Higdon. Pederson ended a solid-first outing with five innings pitched, but not before she let Lewis' Kenzi Murdock smash a two-run double to tie the game up at 3-3. Fellow Griffon newcomer Kennedy Preston came up clutch in her first game wearing the Black & Gold, smoking a double to right-center field to bring home Chloe Armstrong and score the go-ahead run. Freshman Harley Pruetting came in to record the win, slamming the door shut on Lewis with three batters faced and three batters retired. 

GAME 2
Concordia-St. Paul 2, Missouri Western 1
Even with another outstanding showing on the rubber, this time by Pruetting, MWSU could not overcome an early 2-0 deficit. After recording one out and giving up two runs in the bottom of the first, pitcher Natalie Kissinger was swapped out for Pruetting, who went on to fan 12 batters through 5.2 innings of scoreless softball in a dazzling debut of her own. The Griffons got on the board in the sixth when Sydni Hawkins brought home Higdon on a sacrifice fly, but Concordia stayed airtight in the seventh, ending the game in one-two-three fashion.

NOTABLES
  • Pruetting's 12-strikeout performance ties her for 10th most within a single game in MWSU history. She ended the doubleheader with 13 overall.
  • Pruetting also only gave up two baserunners all day, allowing one hit each game and one overall walk.
  • Game one vs. Lewis marks the first win on opening day in the Joe Yegge Era.
  • Concordia pitcher Bryanna Olson tossed a complete game and struck out 11 Griffons in the process. 
  • Hawkins picked up where she left off in 2022, leading the team with three hits between both games. 
  • Higdon totaled a team-high four bases throughout the doubleheader, making an entire trip around the bases vs. Lewis with a triple and run scored.
UP NEXT
The Griffs are back it on Saturday vs. Minnesota Duluth and Minnesota State-Mankato at 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. back inside the Maverick All-Sports Dome to conclude the Minnesota State DII Softball Classic.
Print Friendly Version