Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
(WARRENSBURG, Mo.) – Jennies softball (23-26, 8-10 MIAA) won their third and fourth straight games Tuesday evening, defeating Missouri Southern (15-30, 4-10 MIAA) 8-0 in game one and 4-1 in game two of a critical MIAA doubleheader at the South Recreation Complex. The Jennies hit a combined four home runs in the doubleheader.
            The Jennies started off the evening with an exclamation mark. Braylyn Bivens lead-off for the Cardinal and Black in the bottom of the first and hit a towering home run to deep center field, giving the Jens the 1-0 lead. The round-tripper by Bivens is her first one of the season and only the second of her career.
            The Jennies didn't let up from there, scoring another run in the bottom of the first to go up 2-0 then plated single runs in the bottom of the second and third, increasing the advantage to 4-0 heading into the fourth. Alex Groeger stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the fourth and belted a ball to deep right field, giving the Jennies their second home run of the game and the 6-0 lead. It was Groeger's second home run of the year.
            Central Missouri ended the game in the bottom of the sixth, plating two-runs, increasing the lead to 8-0, which implemented the run-rule.
            Jennies' right-hander Sarah Espy pitched her team-high eighth complete game of the season and second shutout, improving her overall record to 8-7.
            The Jennies started out game two much like they did the first game. The Jens scored two runs in the bottom of the second when Brittany Martin blasted a ball to deep left-centerfield, scoring two runs, giving the Cardinal and Black the early 2-0 lead. The home run from Martin was her fourth for 2012.
            Central Missouri added another run in the bottom of the third, increasing their lead to 3-0 before the Lions scored a run in the top of the fourth, making it 3-1.
            The Jennies made it 4-1 though in the bottom of the fourth when Martin again stepped up to plate and again belted a ball out of the park, this time to centerfield, for her fifth round-tripper of the season and second of the game.
            Jakki Prater pitched for the Jennies in game two, pitching her first complete game of the season, striking out three and only allowing one earned-run on three hits. The Nixa, Missouri native improved her overall record to 3-3.
            The Jennies will be on the road to close out the regular season, starting this Friday with a trip to Jefferson City to face the Lincoln Blue Tigers in their final MIAA doubleheader of the season. They will then finish out with a trip to Lindenwood for non-conference doubleheader. Both doubleheaders are slated to begin at 1 p.m.