HAYS, Kan. - Missouri Western softball (12-7, 1-1 MIAA) opened MIAA play Sunday with a doubleheader split at Fort Hays State. The Griffons won the first game 8-0, but dropped the second 4-1 at Fleharty Family Field.

Missouri Western resumes conference play with two games at Nebraska-Kearney on Monday. Those games will start at 12 and 2 p.m.

Game 1: Missouri Western 8 Fort Hays State 0
Sydney Rader (8-3) tallied her fifth complete game shutout of the season, going the full seven innings and striking out six, while walking only two and giving up only three hits.

Offensively, Kalee Higdon scored three runs on a double to left center, putting Missouri Western ahead 4-0 in the second inning. Myah Dwyer hit a single-shot home run in the third inning and had an RBI single in the seventh to help add insurance. Higdon finished with a team-best four RBIs. Dwyer, Sydney Young and Sienna Reed each had a pair of hits.

Game 2: Fort Hays State 4 Missouri Western 1
Fort Hays State scored the first run in the second and put up three more in the fourth to go up 4-0. Missouri Western's lone run came in the top of the 5th with a Sydney Young RBI double. The Griffons were held to just four hits, as FHSU's Morgan Schmidt pitched the complete game and struck out four. Young finished with a team-best two hits.

Harley Pruetting (2-4) made the start and struck out four, but surrendering four earned runs on six hits. Ashlyn Finarty came in and tossed 2.1 innings of scoreless relief.