FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 21, 2007

Southern splits double-header with Northeastern State


Game One Box | Game Two Box

Tahlequah, Okla. - Tamika Barnes (Grove, Okla.) and Kelli Bax (Rich Fountain, Mo.) combined for a 1-0 shutout victory in game two today as Missouri Southern split a double-header at Northeastern State. The Lions dropped game one by the score of 3-2.

Southern (1-3) jumped ahead, 2-0 in game one. An RBI single from Sam Neely (Blue Springs, Mo.) drove in Barnes for the game's first run. Ashley Hayes (Bentonville, Ark.) followed that up with a single to center scoring Lindsay Bellm (Seneca, Mo.) to give the Lions an early 2-0 lead.

Game one starter Lacee Craig (Bartlesville, Okla.) went seven and a third innings in game one. She allowed single runs in the fourth and sixth innings, striking out six and allowing just two earned runs. However, in the bottom of the eighth, NSU's Aimee Bohannan was placed on second by way of the international tiebreaker. She was sacrificed to third and Candace Badger drove her home with a single to center, giving NSU the win.

Bellm, Neely and Hayes all had a hit for the Lions.

Barnes started game two for Southern and went five innings, striking out two and allowed just four hits. The Lions would score the game's only run in the fourth when JT Taylor (Springfield, Mo.) walked and stole second to lead off the inning. Barnes then doubled down the left field line to score Taylor. Bax finished up the final two innings with her only blemish being a walk.

Southern had just two hits in the game, but made them count.

The Lions will now travel to Canyon, Texas this weekend to participate in the West Texas A&M Tournament. They will play Eastern New Mexico and Southwestern Oklahoma on Friday before starting pool play on Saturday.