by Jim Powers
 
Dani Williams notched her first win of the season in game two against Missouri S&T as Maryville and the Lady Miners split a doubleheader Sunday. Missouri S&T won game one 5-4 while the Saints took the second game 6-4.
 
The Saints opened the scoring in the home half of the third inning with Darby Ferguson smashing a single into center field and, after moving up to second on a fielder's choice, scored on a Williams hit to take an early 1-0 lead.
 
Missouri S&T would use the long ball in the top of the fourth as Savannah Fedorchak would launch a two-run homer over the right center field fence to give the Miners the lead at 2-1.  The Miners would then strike for three more runs in the fifth, as Oliva Culbertson would lead the inning off with a double. After Culbertson advanced to third on a wild pitch, pinch-hitter Kelly Heckemeyer stroked a single to extend the lead to 3-1. But, they were not finished in the inning as two batters later, Shelby Michaelis would hit a two-run homer to give Missouri S&T a 5-1 advantage.
 
The Saints would keep things interesting in the sixth as they would parlay four hits and a pair of Miner errors into three runs to cut the deficit to 5-4, but after Williams led off the seventh with a single, Katie Viets came in to relief starting pitcher Becca Strope and retired the next three Saints batter to preserve the victory. Strope would earn the win for the Miners to improve to 4-6 on the year with Viets picking up the first save for Missouri S&T on the year while Wendy Macias would take the loss for Maryville and drop to 7-10 on the year.
 
In the finale, the Miners scored a run in the first before the Saints answered with two in the home half. Kelsey Martin had a bunt single, and Darby Ferguson put down a sac bunt. Martin took third on a long fly out and scored on Sheridon Sprague's double down the line in left. Courtney Ferguson then brought Sprague home with an RBI single for a 2-1 Maryville lead.  In the fourth, Sprague reached on an error and came around to score on Williams' sac fly for a 3-1 lead.
 
In the top of the fifth, Missouri S&T strung together four hits to score three runs, with the big hit coming on a bases-loaded single that scored two. The Saints answered with their game-winning rally in the bottom of the sixth. Krystal Rock singled to lead off and took second on Sprague's sac bunt. Courtney Ferguson singled to put runners on the corners. Williams put down a sac bunt and scored a run to tie the contest. Brittany Casini lashed a single to right that scored Courtney Ferguson with what would be the game winner. Angie Ochoa tacked on an insurance run as she drove in Williams for a 6-4 lead.
 
The Saints improve to 12-25 overall, 8-14 in the GLVC. The Miners are 6-25 overall, 3-19 in the league. Maryville hosts Lincoln Thursday in its next action.