Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 BRANSON, Mo. – Griffon Softball (10-2) split Thursday's action at the D-II Battle in Branson, picking up a 9-5 victory over Southern Nazarene (3-6) and falling 12-4 to UMSL (3-3) at the Branson Recplex.
Game 1: MoWest 9 Southern Nazarene 5
MoWest set the tone early, breaking through in the top of the second with a two-run single to grab a 2-0 advantage. Southern Nazarene responded with a solo home run in the bottom half, trimming the lead to 2-1.
The Griffons added another run in the fourth on an RBI single to stretch the margin to 3-1. After the Crimson Storm rallied in the fifth to take a brief 4-3 lead, MoWest answered in a big way.
In the top of the sixth, the Griffons swung the momentum decisively back in their favor with a grand slam to surge ahead 7-4. MoWest continued to apply pressure, capitalizing on a Storm miscue later in the inning to plate two more runs and build a 9-4 cushion.
Southern Nazarene scratched across one run in the bottom of the sixth, but MWSU closed the door in the seventh to secure the 9-5.
Game 2: MoWest 4 UMSL 12
MoWest struck first in the bottom of first when
Sydney Young doubled to right center, driving in
Myah Dwyer to give the Griffons a 1-0 lead.
UMSL answered in a decisive second inning, plating seven unearned runs to take control of the contest. A three-run homer highlighted the inning before additional RBI singles and a triple stretched the Tritons advantage to 7-1.
The Griffons chipped away in the fifth. Dwyer delivered an RBI single to center to score
Kalee Higdon, and
Ayva McComas followed with a run-scoring single to bring home
Kenedee Giddens. Later in the inning,
Rachel Barriga added a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 7-4.
UMSL responded again in the sixth, adding five unearned runs behind timely extra-base hits, including a two-run double and a two-run home run, to extend the lead to 12-4 and put the game out of reach.
What's Next
Softball wraps up the D-II Battle in Branson on Friday with a pair of matchups, taking on Quincy at 10 a.m. before closing the weekend against Southwest Baptist at 2 p.m.
