ST. JOSEPH, MO. – Making sure her Class of 2024 teammates got started out to a potential winning Senior Weekend, freshman Ashlyn Finarty (Knoxville, Iowa) stepped up on two fronts Friday, April 19.
 
At the plate, she drilled a double, produced a successful sacrifice and drove in a run during game one of a MIAA twin bill against Missouri Southern St. Head coach Joe Yegge's fabulous first-year student-athlete came out of the bullpen in the second inning and held MSSU to only one run on eight hits and struck out two to move to 7-0 on the season.
 
The 7-5 Griffons' victory helped off-set a 7-1 nightcap defeat. A nip-and-tuck pitching dual between Lions' senior and MWSU senior Natalie Kissinger (Hastings, Neb.) was separated by just one run until five-run visitors outbreak in the seventh inning. Sophomore infielder Kalee Higdon (Gretna, Neb.) drilled a triple and scored on a sacrifice hit off the bat of fellow sophomore infielder Myah Dwyer (St. Joseph, Mo.) in the bottom of the first for the lone home team score.
 
Missouri Western State University (26-16 overall, 10-10 MIAA) honors its four-member Class of 2024 Saturday, April 20. Pittsburg State University is the Gold and Black's guest for a 12 p.m. doubleheader.