FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mar. 23, 2009

Lions split two with Missouri-St. Louis

Game One Box | Game Two Box

Joplin, Mo. - The Missouri Southern softball team split a double-header with Missouri-St. Louis this afternoon at Lea Kungle Field, falling 5-4 in the opener, but winning 10-9 in the nightcap.

The Lions (8-21) went on top early in game one, scoring four runs in the third inning. Andrea Childs singled through the right side and Breanna Volkmann advanced on a sacrifice bunt, placing runners at first and second. Whitney Clute then tripled down the right field line scoring both runners. Megan Roark then doubled home Clute for the Lions' third run of the inning. Trish Washburn doubled to score Roark to make the score 4-0.

UMSL (18-13) answered back, however, with five runs in the fifth inning including a grand slam from catcher JaCee Ellis to tie the game and an RBI single from Stephanie Kelly with the go-ahead run.

Clute had two RBIs and a run scored, while Childs, Roark, Washburn, Kelli Bad and Lauren Hasty had a hit each in the game. Tara Kuykendall started and went four and two thirds of an inning, while Kelsey Williams pitched a scoreless two and a third.

In game two, The Lions scored two runs in the second, a run in the third and three in the fourth to go up 6-0 after four innings. Lauryn Berger had a two RBI double in the second, while Washburn had an RBI in the third. Clute had a two RBI single in the fourth and Brooke Hurley had an RBI single in the inning, as well.

The Tritons, however, answered back again, scoring six runs in the top of the fifth to tie the game at six. Southern would score four more runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning to jump back ahead 10-6. Volkmann started the scoring with an RBI single, and Roark added a two-RBI double to right center and Washburn finished off the scoring with an RBI single to right field.

UMSL threatened with three more in the seventh, but Clute, who had started the game, came back in to close out the Tritons.

Volkmann went 3-4 with three runs and an RBI in the game, while Clute drove in two with two hits. Hurley and Berger had two hits each, while Washburn and Berger drove in two each.

Clute started the game and went four and two thirds before giving way to Tara Kuykendall. Kuykendall threw two innings and earned her second win of the season with Clute finishing the game for her first save.

The Lions will be back in action tomorrow afternoon, playing host to Northeastern State with a double-header at 4 pm.