BRANSON, Mo. – After beginning it's season in Branson, Mo. just 14 days ago, the Maryville softball team returned, dropping a pair of Friday contests at the DII Battle. The first game saw the Saints struggled from the circle, losing 15-6 to the Univeristy of Central Missouri. They followed it up a tight battle with the No. 21-ranked Harding Bisons, falling 4-2.
 
GAME 1 | UCM 15, MARYVILLE 6
The Central Missouri Jennies were able to plate runs in six of the seven innings of the Saints first day back in Branson, Mo., the biggest blow coming via a five-spot in the fifth. Walks were the thorn in the Dawgs paw, giving out 11 free passes on the day.
 
Addison Koth and Jenna Kosnoff both tallied two RBIs in the bout, with Cailynn Gdowski and Marley Williamson also adding on one of their own. Kosnoff was responsible for the closest the Saints came to equalizing the game, hammering a fourth inning two-run home run to make it 7-6, but the aforementioned big UCM inning doused any chance of a Saints comeback.
 
GAME 2 | #21 HARDING 4, MARYVILLE 2
In the first ranked matchup the Saints have seen under Head Coach Chanin Billings, the Saints fell just shy of the upset. After the Saints took a 2-0 lead in three frames, it was the Bisons who mounted the comeback, using a two-run fifth and an insurance in the sixth to send the Saints packing.
 
Cora Boyle, starting in right field, got the Saints on the board early with an RBI single, her fifth run batted in of the year. The third inning saw a leadoff Emily Corona single turn all the way into a run, with the speedy shortstop putting herself into scoring position with her eighth stolen base of the season. A Kosnoff single moved Corona to third where a successful double steal plated the second run of the day.
 
The Bisons finally got to Chayse Ramey in the bottom half of the third, scratching across their first run of the day. As the Saints bats went cold, Harding's woke up with a two-run homer in the fifth and a RBI single in the sixth being what it took to prevent the upset.
 
UP NEXT
The Saints have a chance at redemption tomorrow as they battle No. 21 Harding for a final time at the DII Battle in Branson, Mo. The Saturday finale is set to kick off at 12 p.m.