JOPLIN, Mo. (March 22, 2017) - Call it two comebacks. The Jennies orchestrated a pair of come-from-behind victories Wednesday afternoon scoring a combined 11 runs after the fifth inning of their doubleheader games against Missouri Southern. The sweep puts the Jens at 3-1 in the MIAA this season and move them to 13-16 overall.

Game One: Central Missouri 6, Missouri Southern 4
A five-run sixth inning completed the first comeback win for Central Missouri. Trailing 3-1 entering the frame, the Jens sent 10 batters to plate, scoring five runs on four hits. Back-to-back Lion errors allowed the first three runs to score, giving UCM their first lead of the game. Lauren Mabe extended the lead to three with a two-out, two RBI single.
 
That put Jennies' starter Alexa Bradley into the win column. She allowed four runs on seven hits with one walk and three strike outs in eight innings, improving to 5-8 on the season.
 
Katie Giacone came in for her first career save, closing out the seventh. The Lions brought the winning run to the plate, but Giacone came back from down 3-0 in the count to strike out Angel Badalamenti and end the game.
 
Mabe and Alex Leonhart each picked up two hits in the game. Rose went 1-for-2 with two RBI, a run scored and a stolen base. She started the scoring for UCM with an RBI bunt fielder's choice in the second.
 
The Lions knocked eight hits, getting two apiece from Abi Corbett and Badalamenti. Badalamenti had an RBI triple as part of a two-run third to give MSSU a 3-1 lead.
 
Sydney Koch took the loss, allowing all six runs (two earned) on eight hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
 
Game Two: Central Missouri 9, Missouri Southern 5
The second game, played out just like the first. Missouri Southern got on top early with a three-run first inning, scoring on a pair of RBI singles. The damage could have been worse, but Giacone got a groundball double play to end the frame.

UCM went on to score a single run in each of the 2nd-4th innings. Rose had RBI hits in the second and third and a Lion throwing error extended the inning and allowed Courtni Smith to cross the plate with the tying run in the fourth.

In the fifth, it was Missouri Southern's turn to capitalize on a defensive miscue. A one-out error put a Lion base runner on first. She reached third after a stolen base and a single, and a sacrifice fly drove her in to give the Lions a 4-3 lead.

The sixth proved to once again be the Lions undoing. Central Missouri tied the game on a Makayla Schoonover RBI single then took the lead on a squeeze bunt to score Lauryn Deer. Mabe tripled home Schoonover for good measure, and it was 6-4 Jens after six.

After a dicey seventh in game one, the Jens left nothing to chance putting up another three spot in the top of the inning. The top of the order did the damage with Deer driving in two with a double and Schoonover followed with a double of her own scoring Deer, Schoonover's fourth hit of the game.

Missouri Southern scored one in the seventh, but it wasn't enough and the Jens left Joplin with a sweep.

Deer and Schoonover went a combined 6-for-9 with three runs, four RBI and a stolen base. Schoonover's four hits were a career-high. She's now batting .538 over the last nine games, and the Jens are 7-2 in that span.

After closing out game one, Giacone came right back to fire a complete game in the nightcap. She allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits with four strikeouts and three walks.

Corbett went 2-for-4 for MSSU with a stolen base and two runs scored. Myranda Stewart drove in two runs. Mikaela Cox took the loss in relief. She entered in the fourth inning and gave up six runs on eight hits. Taurean Guzman pitched the first four innings giving up three unearned runs, six hits and two walks with two stirkeouts. 
 
The Jennies return home for two doubleheaders this weekend. They host Fort Hays State Friday, March 24 with a first pitch scheduled start time of 1 p.m. The next day, Saturday, March 25, UCM takes on Nebraska-Kearney at noon.