TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — With her second program record in just 24 hours, history will now remember
Sydni Hawkins' April 8 showing as a winner and as Griffon Softball's new all-time doubles leader.
GAME ONE
Missouri Western 12, Northeastern State 4
Just as she did on Friday vs. No. 8 Rogers State, Hawkins made history early vs. the RiverHawks, breaking Amy Beverly's record with her 59th-career double on the second pitch of the game. She came around to score just a minute later when
Kalee Higdon laced an RBI double to left-center field. With
Abby Dickey on base, Hawkins hammered home MWSU's lead in the second, blasting a two-run home run to right in her very next at bat. Up 4-2 later on in the sixth, Higdon hammered her own two-run shot to left-center field, plating Hawkins in the process.
With
Taylor Jones and
Harley Pruetting on base later on in the inning,
Natalee Weber went yard with a three-run moonshot to left field, building the Griffons' lead to 9-2.
Mackenzie DeVine sent out MWSU's third homer of the inning a few minutes later, drilling a solo shot to left field. Meanwhile, Pruetting threw 5.1 innings in the circle, striking out five RiverHawks and holding them to just three runs.
Natalie Kissinger closed out MWSU's 12-4 win with 1.2 innings of work, striking out Addy Wolfe to close out the game.
GAME TWO
Missouri Western 5, Northeastern State 2
While the Griffons got off to a slow start in game two, the gears switched in a hurry for MWSU. Down 1-0 after NSU put one run across in the first, Dickey plated DeVine with an RBI-infield single to third base to put the Griffons on the board in the fourth. Higdon kept the bus moving with a fielder's choice, pushing Pruetting across home plate to take a 2-1 lead. Now working with the bases loaded,
Jada Collins cranked a three-run double to left to give the Griffs a 5-1 lead.
Pitcher
Sam Pederson once against went the distance, pitching seven innings while giving up just one earned run and two runs overall on six hits. The RiverHawks (22-19, 4-10 MIAA) put two runners on base in the seventh, but Pederson produced a groundout to second base, as Hawkins ended her historic weekend with a game-ending assist to cement MWSU's 5-2 victory.
NOTABLES
- Pederson tallied her 11th complete game this season, a team-high.
- Pruetting's 14 wins leads MWSU this year.
- Higdon's homer in game one was her fifth of the season, moving her into sole possession of second place on the team.
UP NEXT
Missouri Western (27-12 9-7 MIAA) will return home and play Northwest Missouri State (20-20, 5-11 MIAA) this upcoming Friday in a doubleheader at 1 and 3 p.m. in St. Joseph at the Spring Sports Complex. The Bearcats have lost five in a row, falling to No. 15 Washburn and then in back-to-back doubleheader defeats vs. NSU and Rogers State.
