WEST PLAINS, Mo. – The Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP) Grizzly Softball team is now 17-7 on the season after games against North Central Missouri College, Three Rivers College and Lyon College.
The Grizzlies split double headers with the North Central Missouri Pirates Thursday, March 14, and Three Rivers Raiders, Saturday, March 16, but defeated the Lyon Scots in both games of a double header Sunday, March 17.
Against the Pirates
The Grizzlies won the first game against the Pirates 9-4 in seven innings but dropped the second five-inning contest 4-13. The games were held in Trenton, Missouri.
In the opener, MSU-WP picked up their 9 runs off 14 hits. Freshmen Zoey Williams, West Plains, and Brydon Maddox, Malden, each hit home runs and picked up three RBIs. Freshman Brooklyn Hasler, Ozark, also hit a home run with one RBI.
Freshman pitcher Jordyn Foley had a solid outing, giving up four runs on six hits with eight strikeouts and two walks.
In the nightcap, the Pirates dominated from the start, scoring runs in multiple innings and capitalizing on the Grizzlies’ defensive errors.
Freshmen Lexie Gastineau of Ava, Karissa Roberts of Ozark and Chloe Kelts of Mtn. View, each hit singles in the contest. Gastineau and Kelts also recorded an RBI each.
Foley started the game at the mound, giving up six hits and five runs (four earned) with only one strikeout in three innings work. Hasler finished the game, giving up eight runs (three earned) on eight hits with only one strikeout.
“We played well in the first game all the way around,” Grizzly Softball Head Coach Don Long said. “We looked tired in the second game. It had been a long week, and the travel seemed to catch up with us.”
Against the Raiders
Saturday, the Grizzlies dropped the first game against Region 16 rival the Raiders 1-0, but they bounced back to take the second game 4-0. Both seven-inning contests were played in Poplar Bluff.
The opener turned into a pitching duel between Foley and Elly Eckrich. Foley only gave up one earned run on four hits and walked one batter while fanning six in her six innings of work. Eckrich, however, gave up just two hits – one to Massey and the other to Hasler – while striking out 10 Grizzlies.
In the nightcap, Hasler picked up the win from the mound, only giving up one hit in her three innings of work. Foley finished out the contest, giving up two hits and a walk while striking out eight batters.
Gastineau went 2-4 at the plate with two singles and two runs scored. Freshman Alexis Funkhouser, Sullivan, picked up two RBIs off her single. Massey had a single and a stolen base while fellow sophomore Madalyn Ivy, Mansfield, had a single.
“We really struggled hitting the ball the whole day, but we found a way to put some runs on the board in the second game,” Long said. “The pitching was fantastic in both games. Jordyn and Brooklyn did a great job keeping the hitters off balance.
Against the Scots
The Grizzlies dominated the Scots Sunday at Hilburn Sports Complex adjacent to West Plains High School. They shook off their offensive woes from the previous day and won the first game 6-0 and the second game 12-4.
In the first game, MSU-WP garnered nine hits. Key players for the Grizzlies were Gastineau, who scored two runs and stole three bases, and Massey and Williams, who each contributed an RBI. Massey also had two runs scored, while Williams added one. Funkhouser hit a single and a double, and freshman Kennedy Evans, Lamar, hit a single.
Foley pitched all seven innings and only gave up three hits while striking out 15 batters.
In the second game, the Grizzlies’ bats got even hotter, with the team scoring its 12 runs off 15 hits. Massey went 4-4 at the plate with a double and an RBI, while Foley added two RBIs of her own off her single and a home run.
Others hitting for the Grizzlies included Ivy, two doubles and an RBI; Maddox and Funkhouser, each a double and an RBI; Kelts, two singles and two RBIs; Williams, two singles and an RBI; and Gastineau, a single.
Hasler picked up the win. She gave up six four earned runs on six hits while striking out one batter. In relief, Foley gave up one hit while striking out four.
Next up
The Grizzlies will travel to Gladstone, Missouri, Tuesday, March 19, to face Metropolitan Community College of Kansas City in a double header, then return home to host St. Louis Community College Thursday, March 21, in a double header at Hilburn Sports complex. Game times for both outings are at 2 and 4 p.m.
For more information about the Grizzly Softball team, visit MSUWPGrizzlies.com or check out the team’s Facebook page, Facebook.com/GrizzlySB.
Missouri State University-West Plains empowers students to achieve personal success and to enrich their local and global communities by providing accessible, affordable and quality educational opportunities. Missouri State-West Plains offers associate degrees and credit and non-credit courses and serves as a delivery site for bachelor’s and master’s degrees offered by Missouri State University in Springfield.
