ST. CHARLES, Mo. - Central Missouri Jennies softball wrapped up their regular season at Lindenwood Saturday afternoon. The Jens fell in both ends of of the double header 6-5, and 7-4. Central Missouri finishes the regular season at 27-25, 13-13 in the MIAA.
With the regular season behind them, the Jennies can turn their attention to the MIAA Championship Tournament. The Jennies won the championship last year in Kansas City. UCM enters this year's tournament as the No. 6 six seed and will play No. 3 Central Oklahoma in their first round matchup. All MIAA Championship games will take place in Oklahoma City, Okla. at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium April 28-30.
Emily King and
Alex Leonhart picked up some milestone hits in game one, each knocking their 100th career hit, becoming just the 48th and 49th Jennie to reach the century mark.
Game One: Lindenwood 6, Central Missouri 5
The Jennies battled from behind to claim a 5-4 lead in the seventh, but couldn't hold on as Lindenwood walked off with the 6-5 win.Â
Emily King got the Jennies on the board in the first with an RBI single, for her 100th career hit. The lead didn't last as Lindenwood plated two in the bottom half of the inning, on a bases loaded walk and sacrifice fly.
The Jens tied it at two as King added her second RBI of the day with a double, but again the Lions scored a run in the third and fourth innings to take a 4-2 lead.
Alex Leonhart collected her 100th career hit, leading off the sixth inning. Her and
Makayla Schoonover, pinch running for
Emily Robinson, scored on
Allie Dishinger's pinch-hit, two-RBI double. UCM reclaimed the lead, 5-4, in the top of the seventh as
Lauren Mabe scored
Hailey Crabtree with a double.
The first four Lindenwood batters all reached base in the bottom of the seventh though, and the winning run scored on a sacrifice fly to center.
The Jennies totaled 11 hits and Crabtree, King, Leonhart and Mabe all picked up two apiece. Crabtree also scored twice and King and Dishinger drove home a pair.
Allison Tonyan got the start in the circle and lasted four innings, giving up four runs on 10 hits with a strikeout and two walks. Robinson took the loss in relief, throwing 2.1 innings and giving up two runs (zero earned) on four hits with a strikeout. Robinson's record evens out at 11-11 to end the regular season.
Maria Tippit finished with three hits for the Lions. Morgan Colvis got the win throwing all seven innings and giving up five runs, four earned on 11 hits with three strikeouts and a walk.
Game Two: Lindenwood 7, Central Missouri 4
Lindenwood scored the first seven runs of the ballgame helped out by a four-run fourth inning.Â
Lions starter kept the Jennies off of the scoreboard until the sixth inning, when UCM started to come back with a four-run inning of their own. Crabtree and King each had RBI hits and
Madison Hood drove home a run on a fielder's choice.
Jordan Johnson got the start and took the loss for the Jennies. She threw the first 3.2 innings before departing. Johnson was responsible for all seven runs, scoring on nine hits with a strikeout and two walks. Robinson again came on in relief and tossed 2.1 scoreless frames, giving up just one hit and striking out two.
The Jennies again amassed double-digit hits, with Mabe responsible for three of them. Crabtree finished 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Madeline Bohr picked up two hits for the Lions and scored two runs. Brooke Miller got the start and earned the win throwing 5.1 innings giving up four runs on eight hits with six walks and two strikeouts.Â
Jennies will play their opening round game of the MIAAÂ Tournament Thursday, April 28 against Central Oklahoma, whom they split with during the regular season.Â