Joplin, Mo. – The Maryville softball team pounded out 16 hits, including four home runs, to earn a double-header sweep over Missouri Southern State University, 5-1 and Northeastern State University, 8-6 at the TMZ Tournament in Joplin, Mo. Sunday afternoon.
The Saints came out swinging in the second inning as
Nikki Taylor helped her own cause with a double that moved
Sheridon Sprague to third and then
Emily Frankenreiter brought in both runners with a double to right field to give the Saints an early 2-0 lead.
Kelsey Martin then had an infield single and moved to second on an error to score Frankenreiter and make the score 3-0.
Courtney Ferguson continued the hit parade with a single to center field to score a run and
Ashley Marks drilled a double down the left field line to score Ferguson and give the Saints the 5-0 advantage.
Missouri Southern plated a run in the bottom of the inning, but Taylor slammed the door in earning her fourth win of the year giving up only three hits on the day and striking out a pair of Lion batters.
Marks finished the first game of the day 2-for-4 with an RBI while Frankenreiter was 1-for-3 with a pair of runs batted in. Martin also added a pair of hits while scoring a run.
Maryville used the long ball in the second game of the day against Northeastern State University as the Saints drilled four home runs. Maryville again got off to a solid start scoring five runs in the first two innings as
Sydney Halleen drilled a double to left field in the first to score a pair of saints and give Maryville a 2-0 lead. Halleen scored after she advanced to third on a pass ball and then scored on a wild pitch to stake the Saints to a 3-0 advantage. Marks then started the fireworks with her first homer of the year to score Martin and give Maryville a 5-0 lead.
Alyssa Callans smashed her first homer of the year in the fourth inning to extend the Saints lead to 6-0. The River Hawks pushed a run across in their half of the fourth to cut the Maryville lead to 6-1. Taylor provided some much needed insurance with her second round tripper of the year to give the Saints a 7-1 lead. Northeastern St. refused to go away as the River Hawks came to within a run at 7-6 after six innings, but the Saints put the game away with a Halleen homer to right field in the top of the seventh and Taylor came into the circle to shut down Northeastern St. to earn her first save of the year.
Callans grabbed her fourth win of the year by going 4.1 innings and striking out four batters while scattering seven hits. Halleen paced the Saints at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three RBI's and a pair of runs scored while Marks added a two hits and two RBI's with a pair of runs scored.
The Saints will enjoy a nine-day break before they head to Florida to take on Lynn University in a double header on Wednesday, Mar. 14, in West Palm Beach, Fla. starting at 1 p.m.
