JOPLIN, Mo, (March 20, 2019) - Central Missouri Jennies Softball earned two wins Wednesday afternoon in Joplin, sweeping the Lions in a pair of MIAA games. The Jennies rode their pitchers as they allowed just three runs in 14 innings. The pair of wins gives the Jens a three-game winning streak and moves them the 12-8 this season and 3-1 in the MIAA.
Game One - UCM 5, MSSU 3
Play-by-Play
• The game started with two scoreless innings before the Jennies got on the board with runs in the third and fourth innings. With two outs,
Ashlyn Cook singled to left to score
Taylor Nickel, who led off the inning getting hit by a pitch.
• An inning later, the Jennies made it a 2-0 game.
Hailey Crabtree and
Jessica Sader each singled to start the frame. After
Makenzie McAtee's bunt moved both runners up, a throwing error allowed Crabtree to score.
• A pinch hit RBI single cut the lead in half in the bottom of the fourth and the Lions took their first lead an inning later. The first four batters all reach base and a single and a sacrifice fly put Missouri Southern ahead 3-2.
• The lead didn't last long as the Jennies responded with two runs of their own in the sixth. McAtee and Nickel each doubled to tie the game and Nickel scored the go-ahead run on
Payton Summers' pinch-hit RBI single up the middle.
• UCM added an insurance run in the seventh on Sader's RBI single and Wishard didn't allow a run in the final two innings for a 5-3 win.
Jennies Stat Leaders
•
Taylor Nickel reached base three times with a double and was hit by a pitch twice. She also scored and drove in a run.
•
Lauryn Deer had two singles and a stolen base.
•
Makenzie McAtee finished 2-2 with a run scored.
•
Hailey Crabtree and
Ashlyn Cook each had two hits and scored a run.
•
Jessica Sader was 2-4 with an RBI.
•
Jordan Johnson got the start and was effective for four innings allowing three runs (two earned) on eight hits with three walks and two strikeouts.
•
Gentry Wishard got the win out of the bullpen throwing the final three innings. She allowed just two hits and struck out one.
For the Lions
• Makaila Leonhart was 2-4 with a run scored.
• Elizabeth Windsor doubled and was 2-3.
• Josie Tofpi collected two hits in three at bats with a run scored and an RBI.
• Taurean Guzman started and lasted 5.2 innings giving up four runs (three earned) on 10 hits.
• Abby Atkin and Meredith Iden each threw 0.2 innings with a strikeout.
Game Two - Central Missouri 2, Missouri Southern 0
• The Jennies started right where they left off and gave
Alexa Bradley a 2-0 lead before she even needed to take the mound.
•
Lauryn Deer led off the game with a single and two batters later,
Hailey Crabtree laced a triple to left to bring her in.
• Crabtree scored on
Jessica Sader's ground ball to make it 2-0.
• From there it was all Bradley. She made those two runs hold up the rest of the way.
• Bradley ran into immediate trouble in the first, allowing back-to-back singles to start the inning. But with the bases loaded and one out, Bradley got a ground ball force out at the plate and a strikeout to end the inning.
• The Lions didn't leave more than one runner on base in any inning after the first and Bradley tossed three perfect innings over the final six.
Jennies Stat Leaders
• Bradley went the distance throwing all seven innings and allowing just four hits with no walks and six strikeouts.
•
Hailey Crabtree had three of the Jennies seven hits going 3-4 with a run and an RBI.
•
Lauryn Deer was 2-4 and scored a run.
•
Shelby Clark had a pinch-hit double.
For the Lions
• Abby Atkin also threw seven innings. She gave up two runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts.
• Elizabeth Windsor was 2-3.
• Tori Frazier and Sidnie Hurst each had a hit.
News and Notes
•
Hailey Crabtree was 5-7 in the doubleheader.
• Crabtree's triple was her sixth of the season, which her for the fifth most in a single season in team history. The last time a Jennie hit six or more triples in a season was 2008.
•
Shelby Clark's pinch hit in game two was the first hit of her career.
•
Alexa Bradley's complete game shutout was the fourth of her career and second this season.
• The win was Bradley's 25 of her career and her seven strikeouts match a career-best.
•
Gentry Wishard has now thrown seven straight scoreless innings. She has allowed runs in just one of her five appearances this season. She earned her first career win in game two.
•
Jessica Sader upped her hitting streak to 15 games with two hits in game one. Unfortunately, she was 0-4 in game two to snap her streak. Her 15 game hitting streak is the longest since Braylyn Bivens also hit in 15 straight games in 2013.
Up Next
• Not much rest for the Jennies who will play two games each of the next three games at the Emporia State Softball Classic. They start against Minnesota State and Concordia-St. Paul tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m.
