ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - Facing the fourth-ranked team in the NCAA Division II nation, Missouri Western Softball took Rogers State (Oklahoma) to the limit Saturday, but fell in two tremendous matchups.
GAME 1 - MWSU 1, (4) RSU 7 F/12
The Griffons and Hillcats produced a 12-inning instant classic Saturday, with the two teams staying deadlocked at 1-1 from the first inning until the final inning. Rogers State took advantage of three Griffon errors to score six runs in the final frame and pull out a 7-1 victory in a game that last more than four hours.
RSU's Sara LLamas-Howell and MWSU's Sydney Rader were each spectacular in the circle. Rader (11-4) fanned eight Hillcats over 11.2 innings of work. She was charged for five runs, but only one of them earned. Llamas-Howell (16-3) allowed just five hits and allowed just one run in her 12-inning outing, picking up her 16th victory of the season.
GAME 2 - MWSU 2, (4) RSU 3 F
The Griffons struck first with two runs in the third inning, highlighted by a Kalee Higdon RBI double to give MWSU the early 2-0 advantage. Rogers State chipped away, plating a run in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to steal a 3-2 victory and secure the doubleheader sweep.