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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Overland Park, Kan. - The Missouri Southern softball team chased 2009 MIAA Pitcher of the Year Megan Leonard after just four innings, but a walk-off home run from Central Missouri in the eighth inning ended the Lions' 2009 season with a 6-4 loss in day two of the 2009 MIAA Softball Tournament in Overland Park today. Southern (22-36) went down 2-0 after three innings, but the bats came alive with four runs in the fifth, chasing Central's Leonard from the game. Lauryn Berger singled to start the inning and was pinch ran for by Kiley Siebenaler. Siebenaler then advanced to second on a wild pitch and Natalie Nelson walked behind her. Andrea Childs then doubled to left center scoring Siebenaler and pushing Nelson to third base. Breanna Volkmann picked up a bunt single to load the bases and Megan Roark singled home both Nelson and Childs with a base-knock through the right side. Volkmann scored the Lions' final run when Brooke Hurley doubled to left field. The Lions led 4-2, but a two run lead by Central (36-11) tied the game in the bottom of the sixth and forced the second extra-inning game of the tournament for Southern. Childs doubled down the left field line to start the Missouri Southern eighth, but a pitching change brought in Kelly Martin for the Jennies and she promptly retired the next three batters in a row to get out of the jam. Central got a one out single from Kelly Kurka in the eighth and Krista Cumings hit her seventh homer of the season to end the game. Childs, Volkmann and Berger had two hits each for the Lions, while Roark drove in two. Childs had two doubles in the game. Tara Kuykendall went the distance and scattered eight hits, while striking out six and walking just three. The Lions end the season 22-36, but saw a huge improvement under first-year coach Bill Gray. A year removed from finishing 8-30, the Lions improved by 14 wins and saw four players pick up All-MIAA honors including two freshmen in Volkmann and Hurley. |