BENTONVILLE, Ark. (Feb. 16, 2020) - Central Missouri Softball picked up two more wins on the final day of the Arkansas-Monticello Classic. Their 4-0 performance in the classic is the first time the Jennies have gone undefeated in the opening weekend since the 2012 season.
Game 1 - Central Missouri 9, Southwest Baptist 1 (6 innings)
• After two scoreless innings, UCM's offense generated three runs in the bottom of the third.
• With one out, a double by Lauryn Deer was followed with a home run by Jennies junior transfer, Bailey Fowler.
• Ashlyn Cook kept the offense rolling with a single. She then reached home on a Bearcat error as the Jennies took a 3-0 lead.
• Southwest Baptist answered the Jens 3-0 inning with a solo home run in the top of the fourth.
• Makenzie McAtee responded to a Bearcat pitching change by opening the inning with a solo bomb over left center.
• With the bases cleared and one out, Brie Murray and Abbey Fischer recorded back-to-back singles. Amolee Hawkins came in to pinch run for Murray.
• Pinch-hitter Makenzie Cooper singled, driving in Hawkins and advancing Fischer to third.
• A double by Deer plated Fischer and brought Cooper to third. Jennies led 6-1 with one out.
• Cooper was hit home on a single by Cook.
• With Deer and Cook each in scoring position, Jessica Sader hit the walk-off single to score both and end the game in six innings with a 9-1 Jennies victory.
Jennies Stat Leaders:
• Deer, Cook and Murray led UCM with two hits each. Deer and Cook both finished 2-4 while Murray was 2-3.
• Fowler and Sader drove in the team-high of two runs.
• Deer and Cook also led the Jens in runs scored with two each.
• In her first appearance this season, Gentry Wishard gave up just five hits and one run in the 25 batters she faced.
For the Bearcats:
• Nya Morgan led Southwest Baptist with two hits and scored the Bearcats only run.
Game 2 - Central Missouri 7, Henderson State 2
• In the bottom of the first, a single through the right side by McAtee scored leadoff hitter Deer and Cook from second and third.
• McAtee was then hit home on a double by Wellshear to give the Jennies a 3-0 lead headed into the second inning.
• Paige Petefish and the UCM defense saw three Reddies up and three Reddies down as the Jennies quickly returned to their aggressive offense, scoring three more runs in the bottom of the second.
• Scoring in back-to-back innings, Deer was the first to reach home off an infield single by Cook.
• Sader doubled to right field, advancing Cook to third. Another single by McAtee plated Cook and Sader, increasing the Jennies lead over Henderson 6-0.
• After holding the Jennies offense for two innings, Henderson scored their first runs of the game in the top of the fifth on two hits and no UCM errors.
• The Jennies answered the Reddies two-run inning with a single run scored in the bottom of the fifth as Wellshear found her way home off a Henderson fielding error on a hit by Murray.
• The remaining two innings finished scoreless as the Jennies won their final game of the Arkansas-Monticello Classic, 7-2.
Jennies Stat Leaders:
• McAtee went 3-3 and led UCM with four RBI.
• Also recorded three hits was Cook. Cook also tied the team-high of two runs scored which she shared with Deer.
• Cook, Sader and Wellshear each recorded a double.
• Pitching the complete game, Petefish faced 33 batters. The freshman allowed nine Riddies hits, two runs and one walk while striking out six.
For the Reddies:
• Abbie Moore led Henderson's offense with two hits, one run and one RBI.
• Moore and Ashlyn Taylor were the only Reddies to score a run against the Jennies.
• Cayleigh Guthrie threw 4.1 innings for Henderson and allowed only three UCM hits and one run while in the circle.
News & Notes:
• Deer, Cook, Sader and Wellshear each finished the day with at least one extra base hit.
• Fowler hit her first career home run as a Jennie while McAtee's bomb was the sixth of her career.
• While competing in the Arkansas-Monticello Classic, the Jennies totaled 40 runs on 49 hits and recorded 17 extra-base hits lead by Deer with three doubles and a home run.
• After the opening weekend, Deer leads the UCM offense with .600 batting average, followed by Wellshear with a .538.
• This is the first time Jennies Softball went undefeated in their opening weekend since the 2012 season.
Up Next:
Central Missouri (4-0) returns to competition on Friday, Feb. 28 at the Washburn Invitational. The Jennies will face five teams in the three-day tournament hosted at the Washburn Softball Complex in Topeka, Kan.
