BRANSON, Mo. – Maryville University softball took down Minot State University 11-3 in game one on Sunday but dropped game two 3-2 to Southwest Baptist University to close out the Branson Bash Tournament.  
 
Minot State Recap
Maryville started the top of the first inning by taking an early lead. A walk and an error set the stage for an Emily Corona sacrifice fly to score Taylor Shingler to open a 1-0 advantage. Corona added to the lead in the third after leading off with a walk, stealing second, and eventually scoring on an error on the Beaver second baseman.
 
Saints starter Chayse Ramey continued to keep Minot State off the board through three, while her offense went to work in the fourth. Nelson and Shingler singled to start the inning before an RBI single from Corona and a two-RBI base hit from Lexi Touchette extended the lead to 5-0.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, the Beavers scored a pair of runs and loaded the bases with one out to force the Saints to go to the bullpen. They called on Reagan Smith who surrendered a sacrifice fly and got a ground out to work out of the jam with a 5-3 lead intact.
 
Kylie Swinney singled home a run in the top of the fifth and another came home on an error on the same play to restore a four-run lead. Maryville continued to pile on in the top of the sixth with RBIs from Nelson, Shingler, and two more from Swinney to make it 11-3.
 
Smith closed out a short-game win for her team in the sixth by retiring the side in order to earn her first win of the 2023 campaign.
 
Winning Pitcher: Reagan Smith (1-0)
Losing Pitcher: K. Fournier (3-3)
  
Batting Leaders
Melanie Nelson: 3-for-3, RBI, 2 R, SB, BB
Taylor Shingler: 3-for-5, RBI, 4 R, SB
Emily Corona: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 R, SB, BB
 
Southwest Baptist Recap
Now the starter in the second game, Smith surrendered a pair of runs in the first inning after a pair of errors set the stage for a two-RBI single up the middle. She worked out of the inning with a pair of swinging strikeouts.
 
The score remained set until the bottom of the fourth when Corona led off with a single and stole second base. After the Bearcats got the next batter to pop out, Touchette stepped in and drove in the run from second with a single to center to cut the lead to 2-1.
 
SBU brought home an insurance run in the top of the seventh on a lead-off single and a double to center field. The Saints got one back in the bottom of the seventh on a sacrifice fly from Shingler with one out but stranded the tying run on second by getting a ground out to wrap up a 3-2 victory over Maryville.
 
Winning Pitcher: M. Bentley (1-1)
Losing Pitcher: Reagan Smith (1-1)
Save: P. Leithead (1)
  
Batting Leaders
Taylor Shingler: 1-for-1, RBI, BB
Emily Corona: 1-for-3, R, SB
Lexi Touchette: 1-for-2, RBI

Records:
Maryville: 9-9
Minot State: 9-9
Southwest Baptist: 5-9
  
What's Next?
The Saints open up their home schedule on Saturday, March 4, in a double header against Parkside. The first pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m.