SHAWNEE, Kan. -- Minnesota State Moorhead softball dropped a pair of games to open the Midwest College Classic in Kansas on Friday. The Dragons fell to Northwest Missouri State (3-2) before dropping a contest to Missouri Western, 9-4.
Bearcats 3, Dragons 2
The teams would go hitless through the first inning before Northwest Missouri State earned a pair of hits on
Teagan Clemmons. The Bearcats would load the bases before Clemmons settled down, getting out of the inning with a pair of flyouts. A single from
Sami Macchiaroli would get the Dragons in the hit column in the top of the third, but Moorhead would be unable to push anything across.
After Clemmons held the Bearcats scoreless in the fourth inning, MSUM threatened by placing two runners in scoring position after being issued a pair of walks. Despite the runners in scoring position with one out, Moorhead would come up empty handed, keeping the contest scoreless. Northwest Missouri State would plate a run on a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth. The Bearcats would extend that lead to three runs in the home half of the fifth inning thanks to a pair of hits.
The Dragons would be held off the scoreboard until the top of the seventh inning as
Riley McKeever earned a leadoff single. After a fielder's choice in the ensuing at-bat, Moorhead still had one runner on. It was Macchiaroli who came up with the timely power for MSUM, smacking a home run to left centerfield. The freshman's first collegiate homer brought the Dragons to within a run. However, Northwest Missouri State would quickly stamp out a Dragon rally, securing the final two outs for a 3-2 victory.
Griffons 9, Dragons 4
Macchiaroli would get the Dragons humming again in the bottom of the first inning, earning a single. While Moorhead would not be able to push across a run in the opening frame, the teams remained scoreless through three innings of action. Missouri Western would snap the scoreless streak, scoring two runs on three hits in the top of the fourth inning.
The Dragons would respond in the home half as
Loie Moore and
Courtney Locke would earn one-out singles. In the ensuing at-bat, true freshman
Alivia Henderson would jolt Moorhead, smacking a three-run tater to put the Dragons in front by a run. However, the momentum would be short-lived as Missouri Western would score four runs on three hits (and three Dragon errors) to lead 6-3. The Griffons would push that lead to 9-3 in the top of the sixth inning. MSUM would be unable to score beyond a lone run in the bottom of the seventh as the Griffons won 9-4.
Up Next
MSUM (1-9) gets set for two more games as part of the Midwest College Classic tomorrow. The Dragons are set to take on Central Missouri at 2:40 p.m. before battling ninth-ranked Missouri Southern at 5 p.m.
